respond
Americanverb (used without object)
-
responds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
responded,
past participle, past
-
responding
present participle
-
to reply or answer in words.
to respond briefly to a question.
- Synonyms:
- rejoin
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to make a return by some action as if in answer.
to respond generously to a charity drive.
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to react favorably.
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Physiology. to exhibit some action or effect as if in answer; react.
Nerves respond to a stimulus.
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to correspond (usually followed byto ).
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Bridge. to make a response.
verb (used with object)
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responds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
responded,
past participle, past
-
responding
present participle
noun
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Architecture. a half pier, pilaster, or the like projecting from a wall as a support for a lintel or an arch, the other side of which is supported on a free-standing pier or column.
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Ecclesiastical.
-
a short anthem chanted at intervals during the reading of a lection.
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verb
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to state or utter (something) in reply
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(intr) to act in reply; react
to respond by issuing an invitation
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to react favourably
this patient will respond to treatment
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an archaic word for correspond
noun
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architect a pilaster or an engaged column that supports an arch or a lintel
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Christianity a choral anthem chanted in response to a lesson read at a church service
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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respondsimple
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respondssimple
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have respondedperfect
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has respondedperfect
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am respondingprogressive
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are respondingprogressive
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is respondingprogressive
-
have been respondingperfect progressive
-
has been respondingperfect progressive
Past
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respondedsimple
-
had respondedperfect
-
was respondingprogressive
-
were respondingprogressive
-
had been respondingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of respond
First recorded in 1350–1400; (for the verb) from Latin respondēre “to promise in return, reply, answer,” from re- re- + spondēre “to pledge, promise”; (for the noun) Middle English: “responsory,” from Old French, derivative of respondre “to reply,” from Latin respondēre
Explanation
Invited to a great party? You might respond by shouting "Hooray!" and then letting your friend know you'll be there. To respond is to react or reply. Fireman, police, and EMTs are known as first responders. This is because they are the first people to respond to an emergency. If you get into an accident, an EMT might check your reflexes to see how they respond.
Vocabulary lists containing respond
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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"My Favorite Chaperone," Vocabulary from the short story
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Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 81-90
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Those looking for Noah had been told he would not respond to shouting.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
The Iranian embassy did not immediately respond to AFP's request for a comment.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
China’s Foreign Ministry and Saudi Arabia’s government didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Costco did not respond to questions about its Kirkland brand for this story.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
The phone doesn’t respond after that, but it still feels good to have said it.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
But to the extent Kim responds to other leaders’ signals, Trump’s comment may move him to accelerate the expansion of Pyongyang’s arsenal.
From Slate ● Sep. 10, 2026
According to Castro, the persistence of the effect raises the possibility that changing the way the body responds to inflammation could produce longer-lasting benefits.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026
A spokesman at OpenAI said it has strengthened how ChatGPT responds in sensitive and acute situations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
"Mr Governor, my honour and dignity have already been ruined," she responds.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
“Walaikum assalaam warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,” Thaya Jaan responds, giving me extra blessings.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
“That’s right, we’re not going to let that happen, sir,” Huang responded, according to a video of the exchange shared with The Wall Street Journal by investor Ben Pouladian.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
When asked if she was depressed, she responded: "Depression? 100% I cry too much."
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Traders responded by sharply increasing the probability that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates at its Sept. 15-16 meeting, with market-implied chances moving above 80%.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Saudi Arabia responded with more than 50 strikes, as it had the day before, according to the Houthis.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
“That’s right,” Jack responded, finding himself oddly happy despite a nagging feeling that something was deeply, deeply wrong.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
"This must be a turning point for the NHS," she told the House of Commons when responding to the publication of the report.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
In living crocodiles, similar sensory organs can detect touch and changes in water pressure, while also responding to temperature and chemical signals.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
He was responding to explosive comments from another researcher, Jacob Coxon, who worked at OpenAI and Anthropic but said neither company is acting responsibly as they sprint to self-improving superintelligence and risk our very existence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
As the team works within it and the clothes move through the space, the store becomes a backdrop that is never quite fixed, but continually responding to the world being built around it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Is that why he isn’t responding to my texts?
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
