Repartee
Pronunciation
- US IPA: /ˌɹɛpɑɹˈteɪ/
- RP IPA: /ˌɹɛpÉ‘ËˈtiË/
Origin
From French repartie, deverbal of repartir ("to retort")
Full definition of repartee
Noun
repartee
(plural repartees)- A swift, witty reply, especially one that is amusing.
- 1919, William Somerset Maugham, The Moon and Sixpence,A slight smile broke on his lips. ¶ "You are always prepared to sacrifice your principles for a repartee," he answered.
- 1851, Herman Melville, Moby-DickYet habit—strange thing! what cannot habit accomplish?—Gayer sallies, more merry mirth, better jokes, and brighter repartees, you never heard over your mahogany...
- A conversation marked by a series of witty retorts.
- 1898, Winston Churchill, The Celebrity Chapter 8, The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again;.... Our table in the dining-room became again the abode of scintillating wit and caustic repartee, Farrar bracing up to his old standard, and the demand for seats in the vicinity rose to an animated competition.
Synonyms
Verb
- To reply with a repartee
- 1862, Various, The Continental Monthly Chapter , Aubrey speaks of him as 'incomparable at reparteeing, the bull that was bayted, his witt beinge most sparkling, when most set on and provoked.'
- To have a repartee (conversation marked by repartees)
- 1913, Gouverneur Morris, The Penalty Chapter , To see them together, friendly, reparteeing, chummy, would turn your stomach--Barbara so exquisite and high-born, and the man, his eyes full of evil fires, sitting like a great toad on the model's chair.