riposte
Americannoun
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a quick, sharp return in speech or action; counterstroke.
a brilliant riposte to an insult.
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Fencing. a quick thrust given after parrying a lunge.
verb (used without object)
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to make a riposte.
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to reply or retaliate.
noun
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a swift sharp reply in speech or action
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fencing a counterattack made immediately after a successful parry
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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ripostesimple
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ripostessimple
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have ripostedperfect
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has ripostedperfect
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am ripostingprogressive
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are ripostingprogressive
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is ripostingprogressive
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have been ripostingperfect progressive
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has been ripostingperfect progressive
Past
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ripostedsimple
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had ripostedperfect
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was ripostingprogressive
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were ripostingprogressive
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had been ripostingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of riposte
First recorded in 1700–10; from French, variant of risposte “prompt answer,” from Italian risposta, noun use of feminine past participle of rispondere “to answer,” from Vulgar Latin respondere (unrecorded) for Latin respondēre; see respond
Explanation
A riposte is a clever comeback or witty response. Many people can only think of the perfect riposte after the conversation has already moved on, when it's too late to say it! Winston Churchill was famous for his skill with a riposte, like when his friend Lady Astor said that if he were her husband, she'd poison his tea, and he responded, "If you were my wife, I'd drink it!" This kind of quick, funny retort is a classic riposte. Originally, the word riposte came from a French word for a certain kind of lunge in fencing, and it still has this same meaning today.
Vocabulary lists containing riposte
Vocabulary of the Summer Olympics
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The Princess Bride
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The Picture of Dorian Gray
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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:
And so, in a self-deceiving riposte, Mrs. Biden and her husband’s advisers repeated and repeated and repeated the exact opposite.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
Damodaran wrote a riposte to the Citrini Research paper published last week that was the subject of much scrutiny and controversy.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 5, 2026
Bellingham found the net late in the rout of Monaco and celebrated by chugging imaginary drinks, which was an apparent riposte to claims he has been enjoying Spanish nightlife.
From Barron's ● Jan. 20, 2026
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez summarised his government's approach as he delivered a riposte to US President Donald Trump's pro-fossil fuel "Dig, baby, dig" slogan.
From BBC ● Dec. 14, 2025
There his words went unbroadcasted and almost unnoticed, until AEC commissioner Willard Libby issued a public riposte that served chiefly to bring Schweitzer’s statement to Americans’ attention despite the blackout.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
He’s quick with ripostes, righteous in off-the-cuff remarks and has a do-gooder aura that never comes off as sanctimonious.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026
So much has been said about the Old Firm's inability to break through their young players, but Clement has some decent ripostes to that criticism now.
From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2025
If Violet Crawley seasoned her ripostes with a sense of knowing that comes from having broken a few rules herself – confirmed in the second “Downton” movie, by the way – that explained her charm.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2024
Greer’s wordplay is glorious: He drop-shots puns and ripostes, firing up his prose.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 27, 2022
Risk after risk was declined, and the turns and ripostes were fast and furious.
From White Ashes by Kennedy, Sidney R. (Sidney Robinson)
Confronted by what the authors call “unrelenting brutality,” when given the chance—for example, after the British riposted in the South from late 1778—this beleaguered minority readily retaliated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 2026
He said a cocky Perce riposted to Shackleton: "I think the crew would get more meat from you Sir!"
From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2022
Nonsense, riposted geologist Hugh Miller: only feeble poets are put off by knowledge.
From Nature ● Jul. 5, 2012
“Yes, my client is a reflexologist,” riposted Tron’s lawyer, Olivier Schnerb.
From New York Times ● Jun. 1, 2011
The Vicar of Troy, warming to this new contention, riposted in masterly style.
From The Mayor of Troy by Quiller-Couch, Arthur Thomas, Sir
She turned this off by riposting lightly, "How much is it safe to trust anybody?"
From Rough-Hewn by Canfield, Dorothy
"And it's my business to give a clip 'side o' the 'ed," said Jones, riposting.
From The Gay Adventure A Romance by Bird, Richard
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.
