Thesaurus results for REPARTEE

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

repartee

noun

ˌre-pər-ˈtē

Definition of repartee next

as in retort

a quick witty response that repartee to the reporter's question drew laughs from the bystanders

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in banter

good-natured teasing or exchanging of clever remarks I wish we weren't many miles apart, as repartee is harder to do with text messaging

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 How did Betty manage the scenes with Ophelia, with their bawdy repartee? —

Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025 No one is better built than Leavy, a crafty veteran sportswriter, for between-innings repartee, wry asides, and tossed-off ideas for improving her beloved sport—and maybe even keeping its ever-looming obsolescence at bay for another decade or three. —

Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025 At one point, O’Steen was confused by a question, and the resulting back-and-forth was reminiscent of an Abbott and Costello repartee. —

Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Sep. 2025 Hoffman and Jonsson are both brilliant, vulnerable in their humanity in the face of such unfathomable conditions, but their repartee does seem forced and often maudlin. —

Gregory Nussen, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for repartee

Recent Examples of Synonyms for repartee

Noun

If, by our standard, that is glaring plagiarism, the obvious retort is that the standard of the early seventeenth century was a very different beast.

— Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
LeBron James didn’t hold back from his retorts over his late-in-the-game elbow injury Thursday night against the Denver Nuggets.

— Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 6 Mar. 2026