retaliate
Americanverb (used without object)
-
retaliates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
retaliated,
past participle, past
-
retaliating
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
retaliates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
retaliated,
past participle, past
-
retaliating
present participle
verb
-
(intr) to take retributory action, esp by returning some injury or wrong in kind
-
(intr) to cast (accustations) back upon a person
-
rare (tr) to avenge (an injury, wrong, etc)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
retaliationnoun
-
retaliatornoun
-
retaliativeadjective
-
retaliatoryadjective
-
unretaliatedadjective
-
unretaliatingadjective
-
unretaliativeadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
retaliatesimple
-
retaliatessimple
-
have retaliatedperfect
-
has retaliatedperfect
-
am retaliatingprogressive
-
are retaliatingprogressive
-
is retaliatingprogressive
-
have been retaliatingperfect progressive
-
has been retaliatingperfect progressive
Past
-
retaliatedsimple
-
had retaliatedperfect
-
was retaliatingprogressive
-
were retaliatingprogressive
-
had been retaliatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of retaliate
First recorded in 1605–15; from Late Latin retāliātus (past participle of retāliāre ), equivalent to re- re- + tāli(s) “such, of such a nature” + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
To retaliate means to get back at someone, usually through a counterattack. “Ned got hit with a cream pie, then he retaliated by throwing a bucket of Jell-O at his attackers.” When you see the prefix re in a word, it usually means back. To return, remember, regurgitate (yuck) — all of these verbs relate to doing something back. At the beginning of retaliate it means back, and the taliate means to pay, so what you’re talking about here is payback. If you’re doing something terrible to someone just because you want to, that’s doesn’t mean to retaliate. But, if you feel they’ve done something bad to you, and you’re just getting them back? That’s when you retaliate.
Vocabulary lists containing retaliate
The Alchemist
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Grade 9, List 6
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Power Prefix: re-
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Several EU nations including France have pushed for a "European equivalent of Section 301" -- the trade tool US President Donald Trump used to probe foreign practices Washington deems discriminatory, and retaliate with tariffs.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
North Korea is known to retaliate against defectors and their families.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
All America's allies in the Gulf knew there was a serious risk Iran would retaliate by closing off the Strait of Hormuz.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
“We cannot accept what they’ve offered, and we will not give what they’ve asked,” Carney told reporters Saturday, vowing to retaliate with dollar-for-dollar tariffs on U.S. goods.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Before I could climb out of the fountain to retaliate, she’d turned tail and sprinted toward home.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Spain’s move retaliates against restrictions Italy imposed after some 72,000 migrants breached borders into the Spanish territory of Ceuta.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
As Iran retaliates against its oil-rich Gulf Arab neighbours, the benchmark price for a barrel of crude soared beyond $100 for the first time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine four years ago.
From Barron's ● Mar. 8, 2026
Analysts have told the BBC that energy traders will now be watching to see whether Iran retaliates in the coming days.
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2025
Yet at every turn, Deborah finds some excuse to backstab Ava, allegedly out of some version of respect, and Ava retaliates by sabotaging herself and her boss.
From Salon ● Apr. 10, 2025
“You don’t answer very many of them,” Bailey retaliates.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
The pre-dawn strike came on the anniversary according to the Jewish calendar of the October 7, 2023 attack, the deadliest-ever day for Israel which retaliated with a devastating offensive in Gaza.
From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026
Grande’s stanbase quickly retaliated, saying that those commenting on her weight were bringing back body-shaming and tabloid-era hypercriticism.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
Oil prices continued to rise after the U.S. retaliated against surprise Iranian attacks earlier this week, further knocking hopes of a near-term reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it retaliated by targeting U.S. military sites in Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Just before the sail came down, a squall hit Rena, and she retaliated by whipping her boom savagely across the hull.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
Employees, exhibitors, basic cable distributors and others could report concerns to the trustee or to the states, and the combined company would be barred from retaliating against them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said it would refrain from retaliating against the Iraqi militias at the request of Baghdad.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
A recent poll by Canadian firm Abacus Data suggested that around 36% of Canadian would support retaliating to US tariffs, while another 30% would want the Carney government to continue negotiating.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
She alleged that all the Laredo officials involved in her arrest had violated her First Amendment rights and were retaliating against her over her earlier reporting.
From Slate ● Mar. 26, 2026
“You’ve been mad all this time because I picked my best friend? And you thought retaliating by calling us horrible and hurtful names would fix things?”
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
