Adjacent Words

Retaliate definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

RETAL'IATE, v.t. [Low L. retalio; re and talio, from talis, like.]
To return like for like; to repay or requite by an act of the same kind as has been received. It is now seldom used except in a bad sense, that is, to return evil for evil; as, to retaliate injuries. In war, enemies often retaliate the death or inhuman treatment of prisoners, the burning of towns or the plunder of goods.
It is unlucky to be obliged to retaliate the injuries of authors, whose works are so soon forgotten that we are in danger of appearing the first aggressors.
RETAL'IATE, v.i. To return like for like; as, to retaliate upon an enemy.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: take revenge for a perceived wrong; "He wants to avenge the murder of his brother" [syn: revenge, avenge, retaliate]
2: make a counterattack and return like for like, especially evil for evil; "The Empire strikes back"; "The Giants struck back and won the opener"; "The Israeli army retaliated for the Hamas bombing" [syn: retaliate, strike back]

Merriam Webster's

verb (-ated; -ating) Etymology: Late Latin retaliatus, past participle of retaliare, from Latin re- + talio legal retaliation Date: 1611 transitive verb to repay (as an injury) in kind intransitive verb to return like for like; especially to get revenge Synonyms: see reciprocate • retaliation noun • retaliative adjective • retaliatory adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. 1 intr. repay an injury, insult, etc., in kind; attack in return; make reprisals. 2 tr. a (usu. foll. by upon) cast (an accusation) back upon a person. b repay (an injury or insult) in kind. Derivatives: retaliation n. retaliative adj. retaliator n. retaliatory adj. Etymology: L retaliare (as RE-, talis such)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Retaliate Re*tal"i*ate, v. i. To return like for like; specifically, to return evil for evil; as, to retaliate upon an enemy.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Retaliate Re*tal"i*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Retaliated; p. pr. & vb. n. Retaliating.] [L. retaliatus, p. p. of retaliare to retaliate; pref. re- re- + a word akin to talio talion, retaliation. Cf. Talion.] To return the like for; to repay or requite by an act of the same kind; to return evil for (evil). [Now seldom used except in a bad sense.] One ambassador sent word to the duke's son that his visit should be retaliated. --Sir T. Herbert. It is unlucky to be obliged to retaliate the injuries of authors, whose works are so soon forgotten that we are in danger of appearing the first aggressors. --Swift.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(retaliates, retaliating, retaliated) If you retaliate when someone harms or annoys you, you do something which harms or annoys them in return. I was sorely tempted to retaliate... Christie retaliated by sending his friend a long letter detailing Carl's utter incompetence... The militia responded by saying it would retaliate against any attacks... They may retaliate with sanctions on other products if the bans are disregarded. VERB: V, V by -ing, V against/for n, V with n • retaliation Police said they believed the attack was in retaliation for the death of the drug trafficker.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. Return (by giving like for like, as an injury), repay, requite, revenge, avenge. II. v. n. Take revenge, return like for like, give quid pro quo, give a Roland for an Oliver.

Moby Thesaurus

alternate, atone, avenge, bandy, be quits with, change, come back at, commute, compensate, cooperate, counter, counterchange, cover, do penance, even the score, exchange, expiate, fill up, get back at, get even with, give, give and take, give in exchange, give in return, hit back at, indemnify, interchange, launch a vendetta, logroll, make amends, make compensation, make good, make up for, pay back, permute, reciprocate, recompense, rectify, repay, requite, respond, retort, return, return the compliment, revenge, set right, strike back, swap, switch, take revenge, trade, transpose