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:
After the soldiers’ deaths, Trump threatened on social media to retaliate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
“It was a good low-risk strategy until Iran decided to retaliate against the U.S. regional bases,” Eyre added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
"I am going to call Bibi right now and tell him not to retaliate," Trump told Axios, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
On Tuesday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it reserved the “legitimate and definite” right to retaliate against violations to its cease-fire agreement with the U.S., according to a Wall Street Journal report.
From MarketWatch ● May 26, 2026
His immediate instinct was to retaliate against the North Vietnamese, but he held back.
From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge
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
If Europe retaliates with levies on U.S. goods, manufacturers who export across the Atlantic could be hit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026
Judge John Bates said the action against Jenner & Block likely violates constitutional protections because it retaliates against free speech and is discriminatory in nature, CNN reported.
From Salon ● Mar. 29, 2025
Starbucks has long denied it retaliates against workers organizing.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 6, 2023
“You don’t answer very many of them,” Bailey retaliates.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it retaliated by targeting U.S. military sites in Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Beijing has retaliated against the U.S. with sharply reduced imports of American agriculture goods.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
The U.N.’s yearlong inquiry, whose summary we have reviewed, found a “factual basis” for the alleged victim’s allegations and for allegations that Mr. Khan retaliated against ICC staff.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026
I never retaliated the way I felt I could or said anything smart, like, “Does madam need help?”
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Immigration attorneys and advocates are accusing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials of retaliating against detainees taking part in hunger strikes over inhumane conditions at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
But Ben Brake, director general of DOT Europe, whose members include Amazon and Apple, said "retaliating against US corporations in response to trade disputes will neither drive innovation nor strengthen Europe's competitiveness".
From Barron's ● May 30, 2026
Treasury yields declined as U.S. data indicated stability in labor markets and Washington stopped short of retaliating against Iranian attacks on ships.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
A federal judge just issued an injunction barring ICE agents from retaliating against protesters in Minnesota.
From Slate ● Jan. 20, 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
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.
