reply
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
reply
- /ɹɪˈplaɪ/
Rhymes with -aɪ
Where it comes from
From Middle English replyen, replien, borrowed from Old French replier (“to reply”), from the Latin replicō, replicāre (“to fold back”) (in Late or Medieval Latin "to reply, repeat"), from re + plicō (“to fold”); the noun derives from the verb by nominalisation. Doublet of replicate and replica.
verb replies · replying · replied
- To give a written or spoken response, especially to a question, request, accusation or criticism; to answer. When an East Coast industrialist who wanted [Willis] Polk to design a building told the architect that he admired his work, Polk replied, “I would feel complimented if I thought you knew anything about art.”
- To act or gesture in response. Joanne replied to Pete's insult with a slap to his face.
- To repeat something back; to echo.
Similar: respond, answer back, react, rejoin, counter, revert, follow up, get back to, answer, retort, return
noun replies
- A written or spoken response; part of a conversation. For example, it is said that someone at a party once asked the famous philosopher Ly Tin Weedle ‘Why are you here?’ And the reply took three years.
- Something given in reply.
- A counterattack.
- The answer of a figure.
- A document written by a party specifically replying to a responsive declaration and in some cases an answer.
Similar: answer, retort, return, comeback, response, account, rejoinder, riposte, reaction, rebuttal
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: response, respond, answer, answering, responding, responder, respondent, responsive, reaction, question, answerable, feedback, responsiveness, rsvp, accountable, tell
Translations
Every language
verb to give a written or spoken response
| Español | responder, contestar |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 대답하다 daedaphada |
| 日本語 | 返事する henji-suru, 返信する henshin-suru, 答える kotaeru |
| 中文 | 回答 huídá, 答應 /答应 dāying, 答覆 dáfù |
| हिन्दी | जवाब javāb, जवाब देना javāb denā, उत्तर देना uttar denā |
| Português | responder |
| Français | répondre |
| Deutsch | antworten, erwidern |
| Italiano | rispondere, replicare |
| Ελληνικά | απαντώ apantó |
| Română | răspunde |
| Русский | отвеча́ть otvečátʹ, отве́тить otvétitʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | trả lời, hồi đáp, hồi âm |
| العربية | أَجَابَ ʔajāba, رَدَّ radda |
verb to act or gesture in response
| Español | responder, contestar |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 返事する henji-suru |
| Português | responder |
| Русский | отвеча́ть otvečátʹ, отве́тить otvétitʹ |
noun written or spoken response
| Español | respuesta, responsión, contestación |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 대답 daedap, 답변 dapbyeon, 회답 hoedap, 리플 ripeul |
| 日本語 | 返事 henji, 返答 hentō, 答え kotae, 返信 henshin, 回答 kaitō, リプライ ripurai |
| 中文 | 回答 huídá |
| हिन्दी | जवाब javāb, उत्तर uttar |
| Português | resposta |
| Français | réponse |
| Deutsch | Antwort, Entgegnung |
| Italiano | risposta, replica |
| Ελληνικά | απάντηση apántisi |
| Română | răspuns |
| Русский | отве́т otvét |
| Tiếng Việt | trả lời |
| العربية | إِجَابَة ʔijāba, جَوَاب jawāb, رَدّ radd |
| עברית | תְּשׁוּבָה t'shuvá, תְּגוּבָה t’goovah / tehgoovah |
noun something given in reply
| Español | respuesta, responsión, contestación |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | お返し okaeshi |
| Português | resposta |
| Français | réponse |
| Deutsch | Antwort |
| Русский | отве́т otvét |
Talk about this word "reply." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/reply. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. reply. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/reply "reply." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/reply.Cite this
@misc{reply_2026,
title = {reply},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/reply},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
