Skip to content

riposter

to retort, to riposte

verb ree-poh-STEH Rare
Communication Responses

Also means

to counter-attack

Usage Note

Riposter comes from the fencing term riposte (a quick return thrust) and retains that sense of a sharp, immediate response. In everyday French it means to answer back quickly and sharply: elle a riposté du tac au tac ('she replied tit for tat'). In military contexts it means to counter-attack. The related noun is une riposte.

Examples

"Il a riposté à chaque argument."

Natural Translation

He countered every argument.

Explore French by topic