repartee means A swift, witty reply, especially one that is amusing. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 83 out of 100.
Why this word is great
REPARTEE — [Noun] A swift, witty reply, or a conversation characterized by a series of such clever retorts. From French repartie, a deverbal noun from repartir ("to retort, to reply sharply"), itself from re- ("again") + partir ("to divide, to set out"). Unlike a "retort," which carries the heat of a defensive counter-blow, or "banter," which is a meandering stream of playful exchange, repartee is the fencing match of the mind—a bright, clean arc of intellect. It is the crystalline click of foils in a salon, the clean scent of ozone left by a lightning-quick quip, and the subtle warmth of shared admiration that lingers after the laughter subsides—a fleeting architecture of order proving the keenest edge need not draw blood.
noun
- A swift, witty reply, especially one that is amusing.“Many persons must laugh when a great person or an acknowledged wit says a clever thing, such as a smart repartee, or a really good pun.”
- A conversation marked by a series of witty retorts.
- A skill in replying swiftly and wittily.“The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again;[…]. Our table in the dining-room became again the abode of scintillating wit and caustic repartee, Farrar bracing up to his old standard, and the demand for seats in the vicinity rose to an animated competition.”
verb
- To reply with a repartee.“Aubrey speaks of him as 'incomparable at reparteeing, the bull that was bayted, his witt beinge most sparkling, when most set on and provoked.'”
- To have a repartee (a conversation marked by witty retorts or replies).“To see them together, friendly, reparteeing, chummy, would turn your stomach--Barbara so exquisite and high-born, and the man, his eyes full of evil fires, sitting like a great toad on the model's chair.”