1
: a fencer's quick return thrust following a parry
2
: a retaliatory verbal sally : retort
His emphatic language was a riposte to allegations …—
Patrick Laurence
Patrick Laurence3
: a retaliatory maneuver or measure
His luxuriant paintings of palm trees and lumps of gold are a riposte to Soviet drabness.—Eliane Glaser
Eliane Glaser
riposte
verb
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 the Italian word 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.
Examples of riposte in a Sentence
he's known for having a brilliant riposte to nearly any insult
Recent Examples on the Web
Choice comments from Mary Earps about head coach Sarina Wiegman and goalkeeping rival Hannah Hampton provoked a cutting riposte from Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Eventually, Letterman acknowledged the riposte was not his best work.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025
Losing in three sets was a riposte to those who feared the match wouldn’t be competitive.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
All such theories, however, have appeared to be unreliable and speculative since any first strikes would have to contend with the risk of an enemy launch on warning as well as sufficient systems surviving for a devastating riposte.
—Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs, 14 Apr. 2025
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Phil Hay, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Eventually, Letterman acknowledged the riposte was not his best work.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025
Losing in three sets was a riposte to those who feared the match wouldn’t be competitive.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
All such theories, however, have appeared to be unreliable and speculative since any first strikes would have to contend with the risk of an enemy launch on warning as well as sufficient systems surviving for a devastating riposte.
—Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riposte
Cite this Entry
“Riposte.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/riposte. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
riposte
noun
ri·poste
ri-ˈpōst 
1
: a fencer's quick return thrust
2
: a quick reply or action in return
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