retort

1 of 4

verb (1)

re·​tort ri-ˈtȯrt How to pronounce retort (audio)
retorted; retorting; retorts

transitive verb

1
: to pay or hurl back : return
retort an insult
2
a
: to make a reply to
b
: to say in reply
3
: to answer (an argument) by a counter argument

intransitive verb

1
: to answer back usually sharply
2
: to return an argument or charge
3

retort

2 of 4

noun (1)

: a quick, witty, or cutting reply
especially : one that turns back or counters the first speaker's words

retort

3 of 4

noun (2)

re·​tort ri-ˈtȯrt How to pronounce retort (audio)
ˈrē-ˌtȯrt
: a vessel or chamber in which substances are distilled or decomposed by heat

Illustration of retort

Illustration of retort
  • 3retort

retort

4 of 4

verb (2)

re·​tort ri-ˈtȯrt How to pronounce retort (audio)
ˈrē-ˌtȯrt
retorted; retorting; retorts

transitive verb

: to treat (something, such as oil shale) by heating in a retort
Choose the Right Synonym for retort

answer, response, reply, rejoinder, retort mean something spoken, written, or done in return.

answer implies the satisfying of a question, demand, call, or need.

had answers to all their questions

response may imply a quick or spontaneous reaction to a person or thing that serves as a stimulus.

a response to the call for recruits

reply often suggests a thorough response to all issues, points, or questions raised.

a point-by-point reply to the accusation

rejoinder can be a response to a reply or to an objection.

a salesman with a quick rejoinder to every argument

retort implies a reaction to an implicit or explicit charge, criticism, or attack which contains a countercharge or counterattack.

she made a cutting retort to her critics

Examples of retort in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
To highlight some of Mr. Trump’s more inflammatory remarks, the Biden team has begun producing split-screen videos of the president watching them on an iPad and then delivering a pithy retort. Maggie Haberman, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 Yamaha is by no means a battery-swapping pioneer, but its entry into that space signals a powerful retort to skeptics who still believe that battery swapping will never be as commonplace as pulling up to a charging facility and plugging in. IEEE Spectrum, 12 Feb. 2024 The next year, in 2006, Dr. Ballard published a lengthy retort. Catherine Porter, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2023 The retort is that if the generative AI is giving foul advice or misguided advice, there might be more harm taking place than good. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023 That’s my retort to anyone who ever says a degree in art history is useless. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 18 Jan. 2024 The retort topped a series of tense exchanges between Trump's defense team and U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who colleagues characterize as a no-nonsense judge. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 17 Jan. 2024 OpenAI employees may not like the board’s dramatic retort that allowing the company to be destroyed would be consistent with the mission–but those board members saw it that way. Ann Skeet, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2023 Horton did not anticipate that her unplanned retort would get so much attention. Sydney Page, Washington Post, 8 Dec. 2023
Verb
Some would retort that this is no longer an AI hallucination. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Photo: Shutterstock Snarky retorts, fleeting male nudity, and a proposal scene cut short by an unexpected nosebleed are just some of the elements that set Autumn de Wilde’s Regency romp apart from the average Jane Austen adaptation. Radhika Seth, Vogue, 22 Feb. 2024 There is no foolproof quantitative metric used to hire someone, Cuban retorted after Musk asked when the Mavericks would hire a short, white, or Asian woman. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2024 Cynics may retort that Manchin has regularly and vociferously opposed any EV rebates and may simply have been trying to make as many cars as possible ineligible for as long as possible. Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 29 Nov. 2023 Haley retorted, before abruptly moving on to the next question. Meg Kinnard, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2023 Republican lawmakers have retorted that their colleagues on the other side of the aisle are trying to gain a partisan advantage. Lalee Ibssa, ABC News, 7 Dec. 2023 The murkiness enables people to make dubious claims about what is dominant or popular online and allows the platforms to retort with similarly flimsy or warped evidence, limiting accountability on all sides, the researchers said. Sapna Maheshwari, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2023 After seeing many people retort to her comments by trying to convince that Katz was merely joking, Zegler acknowledged the long history of that excuse being levied against women. Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'retort.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Latin retortus, past participle of retorquēre, literally, to twist back, hurl back, from re- + torquēre to twist — more at torture entry 1

Noun (2)

Middle French retorte, from Medieval Latin retorta, from Latin, feminine of retortus; from its shape

First Known Use

Verb (1)

circa 1505, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1610, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1527, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of retort was circa 1505

Dictionary Entries Near retort

Cite this Entry

“Retort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retort. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

retort

1 of 3 verb
re·​tort ri-ˈtȯ(ə)rt How to pronounce retort (audio)
1
: to answer back : reply angrily or sharply
2
: to reply to an argument with an opposing argument

retort

2 of 3 noun
: a quick, witty, or angry reply

retort

3 of 3 noun
re·​tort ri-ˈtȯ(ə)rt How to pronounce retort (audio)
ˈrē-ˌtȯ(ə)rt
: a container in which substances are distilled or broken down by heat
Etymology

Verb

from Latin retortus, past participle of retorquēre, literally "to twist back, hurl back," from re- "back, again" and torquēre "to twist" — related to distort, extort, torture

Noun

from early French retorte "a vessel in which substances are distilled," derived from Latin retortus, past participle of retorquēre "to twist"; probably so called from its shape

Medical Definition

retort

noun
: a vessel or chamber in which substances are distilled or decomposed by heat

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