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.
Hart keeps up a steady stream of anecdotes and witty repartee, but increasingly the mask slips; underneath it all is the yawning realization that he is utterly alone.
From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026
My beef was that he sounded like an anxious playwright determined to string an audience along without forced exuberance and sitcom-level repartee.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 28, 2025
The power couple’s flirty repartee — not to mention a style of cocktail glasses named after them — is as essential to the movie as the clues.
From New York Times • Apr. 15, 2024
The result was an interview brimming with drollery and repartee, as they talked about the rumours of a Beatles reunion, the future of rock music, and life with the Wings.
From BBC • Dec. 27, 2023
He’s looking at me as though we’re going to share some kind of witty repartee, but I am not sure what to say.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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.
