Dictionary

retaliate en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ɹɪˈtæl.i.eɪt/

Etymology

From Latin retāliātus, past participle of retāliō (“to requite, retaliate”).

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To do something harmful or negative to get revenge for some harm; to fight back or respond in kind to an injury or affront.
   • Many companies have policies in place to prevent bosses from retaliating against allegations of harassment.
   • John insulted Peter to retaliate for Peter's acid remark earlier.
2. (transitive) To repay or requite by an act of the same kind.
   • 1713-174, Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope, Memoirs of Martinus Scriblerus Preface It is unlucky to be obliged to retaliate the injuries of authors, whose works are so soon forgotten that we are in danger of appearing the first aggressors.
   • One ambassador sent word to the duke's son that his visit should be retaliated. 1634, T[homas] H[erbert], A Relation of Some Yeares Trauaile, Begunne Anno 1626. into Afrique and the Greater Asia, […], London: […] William Stansby, and Jacob Bloome, →OCLC:

Forms

Deriveds

unretaliated · retaliatingly · retaliative · retaliator · retaliatory · retaliation · unretaliating

Translations (61)

he נקם (do something harmful to get revenge) · fi vastata samalla mitalla (do something harmful to get revenge) · mi rautipu (do something harmful to get revenge) · ro riposta (do something harmful to get revenge) · la retalio (do something harmful to get revenge) · ro a se răzbuna (do something harmful to get revenge) · ca tornar mal per mal (do something harmful to get revenge) · fi kostaa (do something harmful to get revenge) · de Vergeltung üben (do something harmful to get revenge) · es retalear (do something harmful to get revenge) · fr rendre la pareille à quelqu'un (do something harmful to get revenge) · is hefna sín (do something harmful to get revenge) · hu elégtételt vesz (do something harmful to get revenge) · ro a plăti cu aceeași monedă (cuiva) (do something harmful to get revenge) · io revanchar (do something harmful to get revenge) · he עשה פעולת תגמול (do something harmful to get revenge) · es retaliar (do something harmful to get revenge) · et kätte maksma (do something harmful to get revenge) · pl mścić się (do something harmful to get revenge) · ca revenjar-se (do something harmful to get revenge) · nl vergelden (do something harmful to get revenge) · uk мсти́ти (do something harmful to get revenge) · hu bosszút áll (do something harmful to get revenge) · hu megtorol (do something harmful to get revenge) · cs oplácet (do something harmful to get revenge) · tr misilleme yapmak (do something harmful to get revenge) · kix thám (do something harmful to get revenge) · hu megbosszul (do something harmful to get revenge) · cs mstít se (do something harmful to get revenge) · bg отплащам се (do something harmful to get revenge) · ka სამაგიეროს გადახდა (do something harmful to get revenge) · mi rautupu (do something harmful to get revenge) · ru мстить (do something harmful to get revenge) · sv vedergälla (do something harmful to get revenge) · it reagire (do something harmful to get revenge) · it vendicarsi (do something harmful to get revenge) · ml തിരിച്ചടിക്കുക (do something harmful to get revenge) · es represaliar (do something harmful to get revenge) · wa si rvindjî (do something harmful to get revenge) · km សងសឹក (do something harmful to get revenge) · hy վրեժ լուծել (do something harmful to get revenge) · pt retaliar (do something harmful to get revenge) · ru отомсти́ть (do something harmful to get revenge) · cmn 報復 /报复 (do something harmful to get revenge) · cs pomstít (do something harmful to get revenge) · fr user de représailles (do something harmful to get revenge) · ja 仕返し (do something harmful to get revenge) · it rivalersi (do something harmful to get revenge) · cs odplácet (do something harmful to get revenge) · bg отмъщавам (do something harmful to get revenge) · is svara í sömu mynt (do something harmful to get revenge) · de sich rächen (do something harmful to get revenge) · hy հատուցել (do something harmful to get revenge) · cs odplatit (do something harmful to get revenge) · es tomar represalias (do something harmful to get revenge) · is gjalda líku líkt (do something harmful to get revenge) · wa si vindjî (do something harmful to get revenge) · fr se venger de (do something harmful to get revenge) · cs oplatit (do something harmful to get revenge) · uk помсти́ти (do something harmful to get revenge) · fr riposter (do something harmful to get revenge)