retaliate
[ri-tal-ee-eyt]
- to return like for like, especially evil for evil: to retaliate for an injury.
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- to requite or make return for (a wrong or injury) with the like.
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Origin of retaliate
Synonyms
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
punishingvindictivedisciplinarypenalretaliatoryantagonistichostilevengefulresentfulruthlessmaliciousspitefulcruelunforgivingmercilessrevengefulcorrectionalretaliativeimplacableinimicalExamples from the Web for retaliatory
Contemporary Examples
Persuading China to block the north is a lot easier than the U.S. launching a retaliatory cyberstrike against the Sony attackers.
In order to satisfy the husband of the initial victim, the village chief decided that he would carry out the retaliatory rape.
On the other, it has refused to endorse a Western-led retaliatory strike.
Timely intelligence was proving key in combating the gang problem, where many of the shootings are retaliatory.
When Sheridan told him in February that she was fired, Meyer said he was “it struck me as retaliatory.”
Sheridan-Cherry Trial Reveals Ugliest Truth of ‘Desperate Housewives’Maria Elena Fernandez
March 12, 2012
Historical Examples
It was the fear of retaliatory punishment that kept them aloof.
Famous Islands and Memorable VoyagesAnonymous
But Briggs had recourse to what he believed to be a retaliatory taunt.
Under the RedwoodsBret Harte
Many Congressmen have felt the retaliatory power of the Federation.
The Armies of LaborSamuel P. Orth
Great Britain, too, was to suffer from her own retaliatory policy.
But these retaliatory arguments have the fault of proving nothing at all.
The Uprising of a Great PeopleCount Agnor de Gasparin
retaliate
- (intr) to take retributory action, esp by returning some injury or wrong in kind
- (intr) to cast (accustations) back upon a person
- (tr) rare to avenge (an injury, wrong, etc)
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Word Origin
C17: from Late Latin retāliāre, from Latin re- + tālis of such kind
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for retaliatory
retaliate
v.
1610s, from Latin retaliatus, past participle of retaliare "requite, retaliate" (see retaliation). Related: Retaliated; retaliating.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper