noun
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a sharp, witty, or aphoristic remark made as a reply
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terse rapid conversation consisting of such remarks
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skill in making sharp witty replies or conversation
Etymology
Origin of repartee
1635–45; < French repartie retort, noun use of feminine past participle of repartir, Middle French, equivalent to re- re- + partir to part
Explanation
Late night talk show hosts are known for being experts at repartee, or clever conversation, with their celebrity guests. Repartee comes from the French word repartire, which is a fencing term meaning "an answering thrust with a sword." When you are engaging in repartee, you don't literally stab someone, but you come back with a quick verbal blow. Most of us aren't as quick as we'd like to be. Mark Twain defined repartee as, "something we think of 24 hours too late."
Vocabulary lists containing repartee
Jane Eyre
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Song of Myself
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Here to Stay
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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.
I also consulted the book "Viva La Repartee" by Mardy Grothe.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 11, 2011
Repartee mingled with delicate sarcasm, and new, and almost indefinable shades of meaning were given to old and trite expressions.
From The Motor Girls on the Coast or, The Waif From the Sea by Penrose, Margaret
President, his Repartee to the French Comedians, 267.Harlem, t.
Repartee is where I say: 'Ye stole a horse' an' ye say: 'But think iv ye'er wife!'
From Mr. Dooley's Philosophy by Dunne, Finley Peter
Repartee should be indulged in with moderation, and never kept up, as it degenerates into the vulgarity of an altercation.
From Our Deportment Or the Manners, Conduct and Dress of the Most Refined Society by Young, John H.
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.
