requite
Verb
Verb Forms: requited, requiting, requites
- To make appropriate return for a service or action.
- make repayment for or return something
- To repay (a debt owed); specifically, to recompense or reward someone for (a favour, a service rendered, etc.)
- To repay (someone) a debt owed; specifically, to recompense or reward (someone) for a favour, a service rendered, etc.
- To respond to or reciprocate (feelings, especially affection or love which has been shown).
- To do or give a thing in return for (something).
- To retaliate or seek revenge for (an insult, a wrong, etc.).; to avenge.
- To retaliate or seek revenge against (someone) for an insult, a wrong, etc.; also (reflexive, rare), to seek revenge for (oneself).
- To greet (someone) in return.
- To make up for (something); to compensate.
- To respond to (a question, a statement, etc.).
- To take the place of (someone or something); to replace.
- Of an action, a quality, etc.: to be a reward for (itself).
- To recompense, to repay.
- To retaliate, to seek revenge.
Noun
- Chiefly in the form in requite for or of: synonym of requital (“compensation for damage or loss; return in kind, recompense, repayment, reward”).
Examples
- He hoped to requite his opponent’s generous opening with an equally impressive word.
Origin / Etymology
The verb is derived from Middle English requiten (“to repay”), and then partly from both of the following:
* From re- (prefix meaning ‘again; back, backward’) + quiten (“to pay, pay for; to repay; to acquit (someone of a charge), exonerate; to prove (oneself) innocent; to answer, reply; to atone for (a sin); to compensate, make amends; to depart, leave; to equal, match; to fulfil (an obligation); to give back, return; to give up, relinquish; to release, set free; to render (a service); to reward; to give retribution, take revenge”) (from Old French quitter (“to free, liberate”) (modern French quitter), from quitte (“free, liberated”) + -er (suffix forming verbs)). Quitte is derived from Latin quiētus (“at rest; quiet”), the perfect passive participle of quiēscō (“to repose, rest; to sleep; to be quiet or still”), from quiēs (“rest, repose; sleep; calm, peace, quiet”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- (“to rest; peace, rest”)) + -scō (suffix forming verbs with the sense ‘to begin to do [something]’).
* From Old French requiter, requitter (“to free or liberate again”), from re- (prefix meaning ‘again’) + quitter (see above).
The noun is derived from the verb.
Synonyms
repay, avenge, even the score, get back at, get one's own back, retaliate, settle the score, take revenge
Scrabble Score: 16
requite: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordrequite: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
requite: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary