Nominal Forms
Infinitive: to retort
Participle: retorted
Gerund: retorting
Cognates
-
Indicative
Present
| I | retort |
| you | retort |
| he;she;it | retorts |
| we | retort |
| you | retort |
| they | retort |
Perfect
| I | have retorted |
| you | have retorted |
| he;she;it | has retorted |
| we | have retorted |
| you | have retorted |
| they | have retorted |
Past
| I | retorted |
| you | retorted |
| he;she;it | retorted |
| we | retorted |
| you | retorted |
| they | retorted |
Pluperfect
| I | had retorted |
| you | had retorted |
| he;she;it | had retorted |
| we | had retorted |
| you | had retorted |
| they | had retorted |
Future
| I | will retort |
| you | will retort |
| he;she;it | will retort |
| we | will retort |
| you | will retort |
| they | will retort |
Future Perfect
| I | will have retorted |
| you | will have retorted |
| he;she;it | will have retorted |
| we | will have retorted |
| you | will have retorted |
| they | will have retorted |
Subjunctive
Present
| I | retort |
| you | retort |
| he;she;it | retort |
| we | retort |
| you | retort |
| they | retort |
Perfect
| I | have retorted |
| you | have retorted |
| he;she;it | have retorted |
| we | have retorted |
| you | have retorted |
| they | have retorted |
Imperfect
| I | retorted |
| you | retorted |
| he;she;it | retorted |
| we | retorted |
| you | retorted |
| they | retorted |
Pluperfect
| I | had retorted |
| you | had retorted |
| he;she;it | had retorted |
| we | had retorted |
| you | had retorted |
| they | had retorted |
Conditional
Present
| I | would retort |
| you | would retort |
| he;she;it | would retort |
| we | would retort |
| you | would retort |
| they | would retort |
Perfect
| I | would have retorted |
| you | would have retorted |
| he;she;it | would have retorted |
| we | would have retorted |
| you | would have retorted |
| they | would have retorted |
Imperative
| you | retort |
| we | Let's retort |
| you | retort |
Verbs conjugated like 'retort'
abandon,
abduct,
abear,
aberr,
abject,
abord,
abort,
abound,
abraid,
abray,
abrook,
abscind,
abscond,
absist,
absorb,
abstain,
abstract,
accend,
accent,
accept, etc. (List truncated at 20 verbs)
Verbs similar to 'retort'
detort,
remort,
report,
resort,
besort,
dehort,
deport,
extort,
intort,
presort,
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
- to give written or spoken response
- answer, answer back, counter, react, rejoin, reply, respond, return
- reply
- repartee, rejoinder, response, riposte
Antonyms
- reply
- ask, question, plead, demand
Additional Information
Phrasal Verbs
Etymology
1. c.1557, from L.
retortus, pp. of
retorquere "turn back," from
re- "back" +
torquere "to twist" (see thwart). The noun is 1600, from the verb.
2. From Middle English retorte, from Latin retortus, from retorquēre (“to be forced to twist back”).
Verbs referencing "retort"
Spanish
retorcer.
Sample Sentences
-
“It is a pity,” he retorted with aggravating meekness, “that they do not use a little common sense. The case resembles that of Columbus' egg, and is every bit as simple.[…]” [1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “The Ayrsham Mystery”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020:]
-
to retort the charge of vanity
-
And with retorted scorn his back he turned. [1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:]
-
a retorted line
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With retorted head, pruned themselves as they floated. [1829, Robert Southey, “(please specify the page)”, in Sir Thomas More: or, Colloquies on the Progress and Prospects of Society. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Murray, […], →OCLC:]
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As when his virtues, shining upon others, / Heat them and they retort that heat again / To the first giver. [c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:]
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Glasses were filled, arresting the trooper on a theme of passion; the pariahdom of the country cop, whose self-respect is to retort the law's blackmail for blackmail levied on his self-respect. [1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 162:]