respond
Americanverb (used without object)
-
responds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
responded,
past participle, past
-
responding
present participle
-
to reply or answer in words.
to respond briefly to a question.
- Synonyms:
- rejoin
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to make a return by some action as if in answer.
to respond generously to a charity drive.
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to react favorably.
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Physiology. to exhibit some action or effect as if in answer; react.
Nerves respond to a stimulus.
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to correspond (usually followed byto ).
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Bridge. to make a response.
verb (used with object)
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responds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
responded,
past participle, past
-
responding
present participle
noun
-
Architecture. a half pier, pilaster, or the like projecting from a wall as a support for a lintel or an arch, the other side of which is supported on a free-standing pier or column.
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Ecclesiastical.
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a short anthem chanted at intervals during the reading of a lection.
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verb
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to state or utter (something) in reply
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(intr) to act in reply; react
to respond by issuing an invitation
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to react favourably
this patient will respond to treatment
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an archaic word for correspond
noun
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architect a pilaster or an engaged column that supports an arch or a lintel
-
Christianity a choral anthem chanted in response to a lesson read at a church service
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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respondsimple
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respondssimple
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have respondedperfect
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has respondedperfect
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am respondingprogressive
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are respondingprogressive
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is respondingprogressive
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have been respondingperfect progressive
-
has been respondingperfect progressive
Past
-
respondedsimple
-
had respondedperfect
-
was respondingprogressive
-
were respondingprogressive
-
had been respondingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of respond
First recorded in 1350–1400; (for the verb) from Latin respondēre “to promise in return, reply, answer,” from re- re- + spondēre “to pledge, promise”; (for the noun) Middle English: “responsory,” from Old French, derivative of respondre “to reply,” from Latin respondēre
Explanation
Invited to a great party? You might respond by shouting "Hooray!" and then letting your friend know you'll be there. To respond is to react or reply. Fireman, police, and EMTs are known as first responders. This is because they are the first people to respond to an emergency. If you get into an accident, an EMT might check your reflexes to see how they respond.
Vocabulary lists containing respond
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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"My Favorite Chaperone," Vocabulary from the short story
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Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 81-90
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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.
See Examples For:
Canadian officials didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the order.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Representatives for LAX, the Los Angeles Fire Department, and DHL did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
The two tech companies did not immediately respond to AFP's requests for comment.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
Sheen said he hoped "people in the more official areas" would respond as well and "work with us on it".
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
In April of 1857, Mrs. Fox wrote to Robert Kane asking about the bequest for Maggie; he didn’t respond.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
"Mr Governor, my honour and dignity have already been ruined," she responds.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
Bonta said the new law responds to a climate of intimidation affecting immigrant aid workers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
His opponent responds by juggling his outstretched palms in a "6-7," a viral youth meme that has no fixed meaning but has become so ubiquitous that even Pope Leo has taken to performing it.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
He has, however, convened several task forces, one of which will examine how the Fed “understands and responds to the drivers of inflation.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
“She doesn’t like many people. She only responds when someone is nítido.”
From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya
When asked later if JPMorgan sat on red flags in Epstein’s accounts, including the withdrawals, for years, Staley responded, “Seems like it.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
"The conflict and economic headwinds created uncertainty, and some large corporates and Government responded by managing their costs more tightly, reducing demand to travel," Qantas Group chief executive Vanessa Hudson said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
The White House has not said what will happen next once Cook responded.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
The freeholder of the block, Arinium Ltd, has been approached for comment, but has not responded to the BBC.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
And, as I did, my heart melted around the sweetness and sadness of the world and I responded to my cousin...to life.
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
Maines countered that she was responding to current events, but she apologized to the fans who felt hurt — and then she recanted.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026
Mack avoided calling postpartum psychosis a recognised diagnosis, at one point responding: "I'm not sure if that specifically answers your question."
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
His next scan, in late August, will show whether the cancer is responding.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
I started the year at 7,700, raised it to 8,250 in May, and raised it again a couple of weeks ago to 8,400, each time responding to earnings reports that showed FEMO.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
Create an orchestra with half of the class playing and the other half responding.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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.
