repartee

[rep-er-tee, -tey, -ahr-]

noun

1. a quick, witty reply.

2. conversation full of such replies.

   Synonyms: fencing, banter

3. skill in making such replies.

repartee

/ ˌrɛpɑːˈtiː /

noun

1. a sharp, witty, or aphoristic remark made as a reply

2. terse rapid conversation consisting of such remarks

3. skill in making sharp witty replies or conversation

Word History and Origins

Origin of repartee¹

1635–45; < French repartie retort, noun use of feminine past participle of repartir, Middle French, equivalent to re- re- + partir to part

Word History and Origins

Origin of repartee¹

C17: from French repartie , from repartir to retort, from _re- + partir to go away

Example Sentences

Trinket vendors with whom Hemingway found a passing repartee still line the sides.

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My beef was that he sounded like an anxious playwright determined to string an audience along without forced exuberance and sitcom-level repartee.

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Ally and Jay are both sarcastic, too — their best lines are muttered under their breaths — and their repartee becomes more interesting than the bloody theatrics.

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The power of human connection, from the camaraderie among amateur home bakers to the euphoria of sports fans supporting their team, is not just part of Schur and Danson’s repartee.

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Stay with us throughout the day as we bring you the issues, the pitches and the repartee from across the UK, as well as the guests on the Laura Kuenssberg programme on BBC One.

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Related Words

• banter 
• pleasantry 
• rejoinder 
• retort 
• sarcasm 
• wordplay