MEANING
To respond to an injury, insult, or attack by taking harmful or punitive action in return.
Use it for
Use for a deliberate response to an insult or attack.Show a character choosing revenge or restraint after a wrong.
Words that belong together
- retaliate against a rival
- retaliate for an insult
- retaliate in kind
On the page
The witness expected the official to retaliate after the hearing.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- retaliate
- Past tense
- retaliated
- Past participle
- retaliated
- Present participle
- retaliating
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- retaliate
- Present continuous
- am/is/are retaliating
- Present perfect
- have/has retaliated
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been retaliating
- Past
- retaliated
- Past continuous
- was/were retaliating
- Past perfect
- had retaliated
- Past perfect continuous
- had been retaliating
- Future
- will retaliate
- Future continuous
- will be retaliating
- Future perfect
- will have retaliated
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been retaliating
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Usually followed by “against” or “for”; it suggests a counterattack, not neutral correction.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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