English Dictionary
Definition of “reply”
reply (rɪˈplaɪ
)
Definitions
verb
(mainly intr) - to make answer (to) in words or writing or by an action; respond ⇒
he replied with an unexpected move
- (tr; takes a clause as object) to say (something) in answer ⇒
he replied that he didn't want to come
- law to answer a defendant's plea
- to return (a sound); echo
noun
- an answer made in words or writing or through an action; response
- the answer made by a plaintiff or petitioner to a defendant's case
Alternative Forms
reˈplier noun Word Origin
C14: from Old French replier to fold again, reply, from Latin replicāre to fold back, from re- + plicāre to fold
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
=
answer,
respond,
retort,
return,
come back,
counter,
acknowledge,
react,
echo,
rejoin,
retaliate,
write back,
reciprocate,
riposte,
make an answer=
answer,
response,
reaction,
counter,
echo,
comeback,
retort,
retaliation,
acknowledgment,
riposte,
counterattack,
return,
rejoinder,
reciprocation,
Translations
- British English:
reply
A reply is something that you say or write when you answer someone or answer a letter or advertisement.I called out his name, but there was no reply.rɪˈplaɪ NOUN I called out his name, but there was no reply.
- Spanish:
contestación
nf
- French:
réponse
nf
- German:
Antwort
nf
- Chinese: 答复 n
- Arabic: إجابَة n
- Portuguese: resposta nf
- Russian: ответ nm
- Croatian: odgovor nm
- Czech: odpověď nf
- Danish: svar nnt
- Dutch: antwoord nnt
- Finnish: vastaus n
- Greek: απάντηση nf
- Italian: risposta nf
- Japanese: 返事 n
- Korean: 대답 n
- Norwegian: svar nnt
- Polish: odpowiedź nf
- Brazilian Portuguese: resposta nf
- European Spanish:
contestación
nf
- Swedish: svar nnt
- Thai: คำตอบ n
- Turkish: yanıt n
- Vietnamese: câu trả lời n
- British English:
reply
When you reply to something that someone has said or written to you, you say or write an answer to them.He replied that this was impossible. He never replied to my letters.rɪˈplaɪ VERB He replied that this was impossible. He never replied to my letters.
- Spanish:
contestar
v
- French:
répondre
vi
- German:
antworten
v
- Chinese: 答复 v
- Arabic: يُجيبُ v
- Portuguese: responder v
- Russian: отвечать v
- Croatian: odgovoriti v
- Czech: odpovědět v odpovídat
- Danish: svare v
- Dutch: antwoorden v
- Finnish: vastata v
- Greek: απαντώ v
- Italian: rispondere v
- Japanese: 返事をする v
- Korean: 대답하다 v
- Norwegian: svare v
- Polish: odpowiedzieć v odpowiadać
- Brazilian Portuguese: responder v
- European Spanish:
contestar
v
- Swedish: svara v
- Thai: ให้คำตอบ v
- Turkish: yanıtlamak v
- Vietnamese: đáp lại v
Usage examples
She may have called the Harvey mansion and received no reply.
Robert Wilson, INSTRUMENTS OF DARKNESS (2002)'You're spot on, lad,' came the reply ,'I did pretty well to hit it at all, I reckon.
Country Life (2005)Points from Wicklow's Paddy Dalton and Brian Lennon and a Stephen Sheehan reply left Wicklow 0-11 to 0-10 up at the extra-time break.
Irish Times (2002)Yes, of course, a strong customer may reply 'never mind your terms, we pay on 43 days' or whatever.
Glasgow Herald (2001)Each day, when the letters were distributed, Angela expected a reply.
Anne Bennett, WALKING BACK TO HAPPINESS (2002)
