reply

¹re·ply

verb \ri-ˈplī\

re·pliedre·ply·ing

Definition of REPLY

intransitive verb

1

a : to respond in words or writing b : echo, resound c : to make a legal replication

2

: to do something in response; specifically : to return gunfire or an attack

transitive verb

: to give as an answer

— re·pli·er \-ˈplī(-ə)r\ noun

Examples of REPLY

1. I called out to them, but no one replied.
2. He didn't reply to her greeting.
3. The company has replied to the recent protests by posting an ad in the local newspaper.
4. She replied to the accusation with a stack of documents proving her innocence.
5. He replied politely that he felt a little better.

Origin of REPLY

Middle English replien to fold back, oppose, respond, from Anglo-French replier, from Latin replicare to fold back, make a legal replication, from re- + plicare to fold — more at ply

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to REPLY

Synonyms: react, respond

Antonyms: ask, inquire, question

Related Words: answer, return; retaliate; construe, interpret, read, take, understand; contend (with), cope (with), grapple (with), handle, manage, negotiate

Near Antonyms: act, behave; affect, cause, draw, effect

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with REPLY

aby, agley, air-dry, Alai, ally, Altai, anti, apply, assai, awry, aye-aye, Bacchae, Baha'i, banzai, barfly, bee fly, Belgae, belie, bigeye, big lie, black eye, blackfly, black tie, blow-dry, blowby, blowfly, blue-sky, Bo Hai, bone-dry, bonsai, botfly, Brunei, buckeye, bugeye, bye-bye, canaille, catchfly, cat's-eye, Chennai, chess pie, Chiang Mai, cockeye, cockshy, come by, comply, cow pie, crane fly, cross-eye, deadeye, decry, deep-fry, deep-sky, deerfly, defy, Delphi, deny, descry, do by, dong quai, drip-dry, drop by, dry eye, dry fly, elhi, Eli, espy, face fly, firefly, fish-eye, flesh fly, flyby, fly high, forby, freeze-dry, frogeye, fruit fly, gadfly, gallfly, get by, GI, glass eye, go by, good-bye, greenfly, grisaille, gun-shy, Haggai, Hawkeye, heel fly, hereby, hi-fi, hog-tie, horn fly, horsefly, housefly, imply, jai alai, July, Karzai, Kasai, knee-high, lanai, Lanai, lay-by, lay by, Lehigh, let fly, Levi, lie by, magpie, mai tai, mao-tai, Masai, mayfly, medfly, mind's eye, Moirai, mooneye, Mumbai, my eye, nearby, necktie, nilgai, nisi, outbye, outcry, oxeye, pad thai, Panay, panfry, Parcae, piece-dye, pigsty, pinkeye, Po Hai, pop eye, pop fly, potpie, put by, Qinghai, quasi, rabbi, red-eye, rely, rib eye, ride high, rocaille, rough-dry, run dry, Sakai, sand fly, sci-fi, screw eye, semi, Sendai, serai, set by, shanghai, Shanghai, sheep's eye, shoofly, shut-eye, Sinai, sky-high, small-fry, stand by, standby, stir-fry, string tie, supply, swear by, terai, test-fly, thereby, tie-dye, titi, tongue-tie, Transkei, twist tie, two-ply, untie, vat dye, Versailles, walleye, well-nigh, whereby, whitefly, wild rye, wise guy