Definition of REPLY

reply

Plural: replies

Noun

  • a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
  • the speech act of continuing a conversational exchange
    • "he growled his reply"
  • A written or spoken response; part of a conversation.
  • Something given in reply.
  • A counterattack.
  • The answer of a figure.
  • A document written by a party specifically replying to a responsive declaration and in some cases an answer.

Verb

Verb Forms: replied, replying, replies

  • To answer or respond to something said or written.
  • react verbally
  • To give a written or spoken response, especially to a question, request, accusation or criticism; to answer.
  • To act or gesture in response.
  • To repeat something back; to echo.

Examples

  • He needed a strong word to reply to his opponent’s high-scoring play.
  • Joanne replied to Pete's insult with a slap to his face.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English replyen, replien, borrowed from Old French replier (“to reply”), from the Latin replicō, replicāre (“I fold back”) (in Late or Medieval Latin "to reply, repeat"), from re + plicō (“I fold”); the noun derives from the verb by nominalisation. Doublet of replicate and replica.

Synonyms

answer, respond, response, account, answer back, comeback, counter, follow up, get back to, react, reaction, rebuttal, rejoin, rejoinder, retort, return, revert, riposte

Scrabble Score: 10

reply: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
reply: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
reply: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 11

reply: valid Words With Friends Word