noun
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a reply or response to a question or remark, esp a quick witty one; retort
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law (in pleading) the answer made by a defendant to the claimant's reply
Synonym Usage
See answer.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of rejoinder
1475–85; < Middle French rejoindre (noun use of infinitive); see rejoin 2
Explanation
A rejoinder usually means a witty comeback. If someone asks you a silly question like, "Are you painting?" when you are holding a paint can and a brush, your rejoinder could be, "No, I'm just doing my nails." The word rejoinder comes from the Middle French word rejoindre, which meant to answer a legal charge. The meaning of a witty retort developed from the legal meaning. You often think of the best rejoinders long after the crucial moments have passed, which can be really frustrating.
Vocabulary lists containing rejoinder
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The Call of the Wild
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A Separate Peace
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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.
Her rejoinder was, “You know what, I am not president of the United States. You want to go to the White House and talk to him, then go on and do that.”
From Salon • May 5, 2026
The remarks landed as a pointed rejoinder to Chalamet, who sparked a firestorm last month after appearing to question the cultural relevance of classical performance arts.
From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026
They’re a rejoinder to all the fatalistic commentary about tanking and how “being bad to get better” is an accepted reality of the NBA.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026
In a rejoinder filed in court last week, Patil denied the allegations.
From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026
But by the time I’d decided to rejoinder with a perfectly acceptable, “Pretty good, and you?” his back was already to me.
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
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.
