retaliate usually implies a paying back of injury in exact kind, often vengefully.

Get a quick, free translation! RETALIATE definition: 1. to hurt someone or do something harmful to someone because they have done or said something…. Learn more.

Definition of retaliate verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

RETALIATE definition: to return like for like, especially evil for evil. See examples of retaliate used in a sentence.

retaliate verb To return like for like, especially to return an unfriendly or hostile action with a similar one:

If you retaliate when someone harms or annoys you, you do something which harms or annoys them in return. I was sorely tempted to retaliate.

Dec 17, 2025 · retaliate (third-person singular simple present retaliates, present participle retaliating, simple past and past participle retaliated) (intransitive) To do something harmful or …

re•tal•i•ate (ri tal′ ē āt′), v., -at•ed, -at•ing. v.i. to return like for like, esp. evil for evil: to retaliate for an injury. v.t. to requite or make return for (a wrong or injury) with the like.

retaliate meaning, definition, what is retaliate: to do something bad to someone because t...: Learn more.

There are seven meanings listed in OED's entry for the verb retaliate, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.