1
: a fencer's quick return thrust following a parry
2
: a retaliatory verbal sally : retort
3
: a retaliatory maneuver or measure
riposte
verb
Did you know?
In the sport of fencing, a riposte is a counterattack made after successfully fending off one's opponent. English speakers borrowed the name for this particular maneuver from French in the early 1700s, but the French had simply modified the Italian word risposta, which literally means "answer." Ultimately these words come from the Latin verb respondēre, meaning "to respond." It seems fitting that riposte has since come full circle to now refer to a quick and witty response performed as a form of retaliation.
Examples of riposte in a Sentence
he's known for having a brilliant riposte to nearly any insult
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump’s willingness to take risks, his boldness in appearing in places and situations where the old Republican Party feared to tread, his knack for the memorable photo and cutting riposte have defined his political career and the 2024 campaign.
—
Matthew Continetti, National Review, 2 Nov. 2024
With sharp ripostes and canny traps, Harris baited Trump into boasting about his crowd sizes, grousing about the 2020 election, and standing up for the rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol to thwart the peaceful transfer of power.
—Brian Bennett, TIME, 11 Sep. 2024
In an attention getting riposte, the aforementioned Polis penned a satirical letter calling for a ban on the dollar.
—Brady Dale, Axios, 3 Sep. 2024
Although the United States and its allies could deal with such ripostes, there would be no obvious military strategy to bring even a desultory exchange of strikes and counterstrikes to an end.
—Barry R. Posen, Foreign Affairs, 7 Sep. 2010
See all Example Sentences for riposte 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Matthew Continetti, National Review, 2 Nov. 2024
With sharp ripostes and canny traps, Harris baited Trump into boasting about his crowd sizes, grousing about the 2020 election, and standing up for the rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol to thwart the peaceful transfer of power.
—Brian Bennett, TIME, 11 Sep. 2024
In an attention getting riposte, the aforementioned Polis penned a satirical letter calling for a ban on the dollar.
—Brady Dale, Axios, 3 Sep. 2024
Although the United States and its allies could deal with such ripostes, there would be no obvious military strategy to bring even a desultory exchange of strikes and counterstrikes to an end.
—Barry R. Posen, Foreign Affairs, 7 Sep. 2010
See all Example Sentences for riposte
Dictionary Entries Near riposte
Cite this Entry
“Riposte.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/riposte. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
riposte
noun
ri·poste
ri-ˈpōst 
1
: a fencer's quick return thrust
2
: a quick reply or action in return
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share