Definition of riposte
1 : a fencer's quick return thrust following a parry
2 : a retaliatory verbal sally : retort
3 : a retaliatory maneuver or measure
riposte
verbFrom the M-W Editors
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Examples of riposte in a Sentence
he's known for having a brilliant riposte to nearly any insult
Recent Examples of riposte from the Web
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Thousands of lunges, parries and counterattacks, known as ripostes, hone those muscles closest to your opponent.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'riposte'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
In the sport of fencing, a riposte is a counterattack made after successfully fending off one's opponent. English speakers borrowed the name for this particular maneuver from French in the early 1700s, but the French had simply modified Italian risposta, which literally means "answer." Ultimately these words come from the Latin verb respondēre meaning "to respond." It seems fitting that "riposte" has since come full circle to now refer to a quick and witty response performed as a form of retaliation.
Origin and Etymology of riposte
French, modification of Italian risposta, literally, answer, from rispondere to respond, from Latin respondēre
First Known Use: 1707
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