Synonym Chooser

How does the noun repartee differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of repartee are humor, irony, sarcasm, satire, and wit. While all these words mean "a mode of expression intended to arouse amusement," repartee implies the power of answering quickly, pointedly, or wittily.

a dinner guest noted for repartee

When could humor be used to replace repartee?

The synonyms humor and repartee are sometimes interchangeable, but humor implies an ability to perceive the ludicrous, the comical, and the absurd in human life and to express these usually without bitterness.

a sense of humor

Where would irony be a reasonable alternative to repartee?

While the synonyms irony and repartee are close in meaning, irony applies to a manner of expression in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is seemingly expressed.

the irony of the title

When would sarcasm be a good substitute for repartee?

In some situations, the words sarcasm and repartee are roughly equivalent. However, sarcasm applies to expression frequently in the form of irony that is intended to cut or wound.

given to heartless sarcasm

When might satire be a better fit than repartee?

The meanings of satire and repartee largely overlap; however, satire applies to writing that exposes or ridicules conduct, doctrines, or institutions either by direct criticism or more often through irony, parody, or caricature.

a satire on the Congress

When is wit a more appropriate choice than repartee?

While in some cases nearly identical to repartee, wit suggests the power to evoke laughter by remarks showing verbal felicity or ingenuity and swift perception especially of the incongruous.

a playful wit

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of repartee Arriving 28 years after Twister swirled rom-com repartee with disaster-flick chaos to create one of the 1990s’ most rewatchable hits, Twisters’ development began in earnest in 2020. Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 26 July 2024 Awash in candlelight chiaroscuro and punctuated with witty repartee, the film initially seems like a quirky comedy about a father and daughter struggling with their rhubarb farm. Ben Croll, Variety, 30 Jan. 2025 Charton is disarming and funny, and the two are clearly enamored with each other, falling into natural repartee about their kids and each other. Rachel Handler, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2025 This is a love affair blossoming on the planet of non sequiturs, the kind of repartee moviegoers used to get with William Powell and Carole Lombard, or Cary Grant and Irene Dunne. Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for repartee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repartee
Noun
  • She’s always equipped with a sense of humor and a sharp retort.
    Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 30 Apr. 2025
  • In another now-viral post, Sanders would clap back at the Detroit native, as well as Jacquees’ mother, with a fiery retort.
    Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Golf has long been the go-to playground for big names, where often legends like Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Donald Trump, and Steph Curry trade stadium lights for fairways and friendly banter.
    Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025
  • Ackles’ character throws out a few wise-ass remarks, but the witty banter is not really all that witty.
    Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 23 June 2025
Noun
  • Each bus has a pair of hosts, whose badinage is corny but crowd-pleasing.
    Patricia Marx, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
  • In The Kitchen, Wesker tracked the decorum from friendly badinage to hostile vernacular that co-workers sustain just to get through the day.
    Armond White, National Review, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • Friday’s Resident Alien had it all: uproarious laughs, romance, heartbreak and a whole lot of vomit.
    Nick Caruso, TVLine, 28 June 2025
  • And in a company which faithfully recreates stiff 18th-century acting conventions, McCormack’s unapologetically sassy Semira was a welcome change of pace, drawing the afternoon’s biggest laughs.
    Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2025
Noun
  • She was raised in a society—a West Indian society—that did not put much of a premium on women’s bodies, where any kind of intimacy was a joke.
    Hilton Als, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
  • And yet the world is too driven by algorithms, too fragmented in its tastes, to ever be on the same page again and get the same jokes.
    Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025
Noun
  • With time, their caustic raillery transforms into sincere attachment.
    Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 13 May 2021
  • French’s evocation of place, a rural way of life and overall creepiness are superb, as is the dialogue, a festival of Irish raillery and repartee.
    Washington Post, Washington Post, 14 Oct. 2020
Noun
  • Friday, March 27: This dance troupe blends traditional African styles with those from Black fraternities and sororities and contemporary forms in a show that also features storytelling, humor and audience participation.
    Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2025
  • Superhero cinema has dominated since then, and Brad Bird's visual style and humor feel less novel.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 21 June 2025
Noun
  • None of this will keep Republicans and conservatives from attacking the reconciliation bill with smoke, mirrors and persiflage.
    Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2022
  • As Nixon’s political strategist, Kevin Phillips, told the New York Times in 1970: All the talk about Republicans making inroads into the Negro vote is persiflage.
    Jane Coaston, Vox, 12 Oct. 2018

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Cite this Entry

“Repartee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repartee. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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