repartee

noun

ˌre-pər-ˈtē How to pronounce repartee (audio)
Definition of reparteenext
1
as in retort
a quick witty response that repartee to the reporter's question drew laughs from the bystanders

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in banter
good-natured teasing or exchanging of clever remarks I wish we weren't many miles apart, as repartee is harder to do with text messaging

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun repartee differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of repartee are humor, irony, sarcasm, satire, and wit. While all these words mean "a mode of expression intended to arouse amusement," repartee implies the power of answering quickly, pointedly, or wittily.

a dinner guest noted for repartee

When could humor be used to replace repartee?

The synonyms humor and repartee are sometimes interchangeable, but humor implies an ability to perceive the ludicrous, the comical, and the absurd in human life and to express these usually without bitterness.

a sense of humor

Where would irony be a reasonable alternative to repartee?

While the synonyms irony and repartee are close in meaning, irony applies to a manner of expression in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is seemingly expressed.

the irony of the title

When would sarcasm be a good substitute for repartee?

In some situations, the words sarcasm and repartee are roughly equivalent. However, sarcasm applies to expression frequently in the form of irony that is intended to cut or wound.

given to heartless sarcasm

When might satire be a better fit than repartee?

The meanings of satire and repartee largely overlap; however, satire applies to writing that exposes or ridicules conduct, doctrines, or institutions either by direct criticism or more often through irony, parody, or caricature.

a satire on the Congress

When is wit a more appropriate choice than repartee?

While in some cases nearly identical to repartee, wit suggests the power to evoke laughter by remarks showing verbal felicity or ingenuity and swift perception especially of the incongruous.

a playful wit

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of repartee Tony McNamara’s script opens in couple’s therapy, where the British duo demonstrate that their relationship thrives on the kind of biting repartee that might send Americans reaching for the straight razor. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 26 Aug. 2025 Balki and cousin Larry slipped right into their old repartee from the beloved ABC sitcom. —Ryan Coleman Published, EW.com, 14 July 2025 His brother Richard Rosenthal is Somebody Feed Phil’s executive producer and showrunner; their on-camera repartee is a golden fan-favorite. —Laura Manske, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025 Most voters are worried about high prices for food, energy and housing, rather than their leader’s Oval Office repartee. —Alexander Smith, NBC news, 30 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for repartee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repartee
  1. retort
  2. banter
  3. badinage
  4. laugh
  5. joke
  6. raillery
  7. humor
  8. persiflage
Noun
  • The Chanel-as-love-story frame is his retort to those who would dismiss his everyday conceptualism as a poor fit for so lightsome a house.
    — Nathan Heller, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2025
  • For many, banging them in against the likes of Konyaspor and Goztepe last term is not a convincing retort to those questions.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Definition of retort
Noun
  • In addition to some light-hearted banter between Thia and Dek, the trailer gives viewers a look at the treacherous journey ahead of them.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Nobody Wants This is back for a second season, providing not only good banter, but some pretty deep questions about faith and compatibility.
    — NPR, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
Definition of banter
Noun
  • The action flows, the badinage is fast and fun.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Each bus has a pair of hosts, whose badinage is corny but crowd-pleasing.
    — Patricia Marx, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Definition of badinage
Noun
  • The piece signals transformation, but the spontaneous laugh turns luxury into connection; by the red-gown reveal, the necklace reads less like a trophy and more like a charm that’s worked.
    — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2025
  • According to showrunner and executive producer David Mirkin, these laughs sometimes just serve as a tool to make sure the episodes are the correct length for broadcast.
    — Grace Dean, Space.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Definition of laugh
Noun
  • Dodgers manager Dave Roberts got in on the joke after his team captured the National League pennant for the fifth time in the past nine years.
    — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Students embraced the joke, and before long, every game began with hundreds of tortillas soaring into the night sky as the whistle blew for kickoff.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
Definition of joke
Noun
  • With time, their caustic raillery transforms into sincere attachment.
    — Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 13 May 2021
  • French’s evocation of place, a rural way of life and overall creepiness are superb, as is the dialogue, a festival of Irish raillery and repartee.
    — Washington Post, Washington Post, 14 Oct. 2020
Definition of raillery
Noun
  • The jury also appreciated the thematically appropriate disregard for linear time used in the movie and found hope and joy in watching these characters seek humor and hold tight to each other in the face of a difficult disease.
    — Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Rather than shy away from the association, the company decided to respond to the incident with humor.
    — Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Definition of humor
Noun
  • None of this will keep Republicans and conservatives from attacking the reconciliation bill with smoke, mirrors and persiflage.
    — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2022
  • As Nixon’s political strategist, Kevin Phillips, told the New York Times in 1970: All the talk about Republicans making inroads into the Negro vote is persiflage.
    — Jane Coaston, Vox, 12 Oct. 2018
Definition of persiflage

Browse Nearby Words

reparative
repartee
repartees
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Cite this Entry

“Repartee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repartee. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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