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reply

ri-PLY/ɹɪˈplaɪ/

Verbreplies, replying, replied

Noun pluralreplies

8 meanings of reply

Practice

  1. 1
    verbtransitive or intransitive
    To answer someone in speech or writing, often after a question or complaint.

    Like answering when a friend calls your name.

    Please reply when you read my message.

    He replied that he was too busy to come.

    Similaranswer, respond, retort, counter

    Note
  2. 2
    nouncountable
    An answer that someone gives in speech or writing.

    Like throwing a ball back after someone throws it to you.

    I sent a short reply to her message.

    His reply made everyone in the room laugh.

    Similaranswer, response, rejoinder, retort

  3. 3
    nouncountable
    A thing that someone gives back as an answer.

    Like handing back a present when someone gives you one.

    Her reply was a warm smile and a nod.

    He handed over a small gift as his reply.

    Similarresponse, answer

  4. 4
    verbintransitive
    To respond by doing something or making a gesture.

    Like nodding back when someone waves at you.

    When I waved, she replied with a smile.

    Guards reply to a salute with a sharp nod.

    Similarrespond, react, answer

    Note
  5. 5
    verbintransitive
    To repeat a sound back, the way an echo does.

    Like your voice bouncing back in a big empty room.

    The canyon replied to our shouts.

    Empty halls reply to footsteps with a hollow sound.

    Similarecho, answer, resound, reverberate

    Note
  6. 6
    nouncountable
    An attack made back against someone who attacked first.

    Like hitting back in a snowball fight after being hit.

    The army's reply drove the enemy back.

    Their reply came at dawn with full force.

    Similarcounterattack, riposte, retaliation, counterstrike

  7. 7
    nounUScountable
    A legal paper that one side files to answer the other side's response, and sometimes its answer.

    The lawyer filed a reply to the defendant's answer.

    The judge gave the company two weeks to file its reply before the hearing.

    Note
  8. 8
    nouncountable
    In music, the repeating of a short tune by another voice or part.

    Like one singer copying back the tune another just sang.

    The second violin gave a soft reply to the main tune.

    Each reply copied the first short tune note for note.

    Similaranswer

    Note

Practice

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Origin

From Latin replicare meaning "to fold back," which came to mean "to reply," made from re- plus plicare "to fold." English took it through Old French.