[Vocabulary] rejoinder riposte repartee difference

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bf000777966

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I have been wondering the meaning of these words, the dictionaries have similar explanations on these words(that is, a cleaver response), so please tell me whats the difference??
 

Roman55

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I am not a teacher.

Repartee is not a countable noun, so that's a big difference right there.

Of the other two, they are similar in as far as they are both used as replies.
A rejoinder is almost always witty and can be a reply to more or less anything, whereas a riposte is a reply to an insult or critical remark. It's a verbal counter-attack, and is also a physical one in fencing.
 

emsr2d2

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"Repartee" normally refers to the contents of a dialogue/conversation between at least two people. However, I note that many dictionaries give "a swift, witty reply" as a definition.
 
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