retaliate
pronunciation
How to pronounce retaliate in British English:
UK [rɪˈtælieɪt]
How to pronounce retaliate in American English:
US [rɪˈtælieɪt]
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- Verb:
- take revenge for a perceived wrong
- make a counterattack and return like for like, especially evil for evil
Word Origin
- retaliate
- retaliate: [17] To retaliate is etymologically to give someone ‘so much’ or an equal amount in return for what they have given you. Its ultimate source is Latin tālis ‘suchlike’ (source of French tel ‘such’). This formed the basis of a noun tāliō ‘punishment equal in severity to the wrong that occasioned it’, which was combined with the prefix re- ‘back’ to create the verb retaliāre ‘repay in kind’ – whence English retaliate.
- retaliate (v.)
- 1610s, from Latin retaliatus, past participle of retaliare "requite, retaliate" (see retaliation). Related: Retaliated; retaliating.
Example
- 1. Many warned this would prompt beijing to retaliate .
- 2. Unlike fungi , we cannot retaliate by simply evolving new antibiotics .
- 3. China will likely retaliate in kind .
- 4. Nevertheless , libya was quick to retaliate against this insult .
- 5. If we impose import duties , other countries may retaliate against us .