riposte.

1. A quick, sharp reply to a remark or criticism.

2. An attacking thrust made immediately after blocking an opponent's attack in fencing.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• witty riposte
• deliver a riposte

On the page

Her riposte drew a laugh even from the colleague who had criticized her.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: Singular riposte; plural ripostes. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: ripostes.