I. re ‧ ply 1 W2 /rɪˈplaɪ/ BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle replied , present participle replying , third person singular replies )
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: replier 'to fold again' , from Latin replicare , from plicare 'to fold' ]
1 . [intransitive and transitive] to answer someone by saying or writing something:
I asked Clive where he was going, but he didn’t reply.
Sorry it took me so long to reply.
‘Did you see Simon today?’ ‘Of course,’ Nathalie replied with a smile.
reply to
Has Ian replied to your letter yet?
reply that
Mills replied that he was staying at his parents’ flat.
REGISTER
Reply is used especially in written English. In everyday English, people usually say answer :
▪ You haven’t replied to my question. ➔ You haven’t answered my question.
2 . [intransitive] to react to an action by doing something else
reply (to something) with something
The rebel troops replied to government threats with increased violence.
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THESAURUS
▪ answer to say something to someone when they have asked you a question or spoken to you:
You don’t have to answer the question if you don’t want to.
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I said hello to her, but she didn’t answer.
▪ reply to answer someone. Used especially in written English to report what someone said:
‘I’m so sorry,’ he replied.
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We asked Jane to help, but she replied that she was too busy.
▪ respond formal to answer someone:
How do you respond to the allegation that you deliberately deceived your employers?
▪ give somebody an answer to answer someone by telling them what you have decided or giving them a piece of information they asked for:
He asked me to marry him, but I didn’t give him an answer straight away.
▪ get back to somebody to answer someone at a later time especially by telephoning them, usually because you need to think about their question or find out more information:
She’s promised to get back to me as soon as she hears any more news from the hospital.
▪ retort written to answer someone angrily, especially because they have annoyed you or criticized you:
‘You’re not afraid?’ Brenda asked. ‘Of course not,’ he retorted angrily.
II. reply 2 S3 W3 BrE AmE noun ( plural replies ) [countable]
1 . something that is said, written, or done as a way of replying SYN answer :
I tried calling, but there was no reply.
reply to
We still haven’t received a reply to our letter.
Stephen made no reply.
REGISTER
Reply is used especially in written English. In everyday English, people usually say answer .
▪
I tried calling but there was no answer.
2 . in reply (to something) formal as a way of replying to something:
I am writing in reply to your letter of 1st June.
3 . without reply British English if a sports team gets a number of points or ↑ goal s without reply, their opponents do not score
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THESAURUS
▪ answer something you say when someone asks you a question or speaks to you:
I asked if he wanted to come, but I didn’t get an answer.
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If you’re asking me for money, the answer’s no!
▪ reply an answer. Used especially in written English to report what someone said:
She asked how he felt, and received the reply, ‘Awful!’
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‘Finished now?’ ‘No,' came the reply.
▪ response an answer that clearly shows your reaction to a question, suggestion etc:
Wagner’s responses showed that he had thought carefully about the issues.
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‘Sure. Why not?’ was his response to most of Billie’s suggestions.
▪ retort written an angry answer given when someone has annoyed you or criticized you:
Isabelle began an angry retort and then stopped herself.
▪ comeback a quick answer that is clever, funny, or rude:
He walked out before I could think of a snappy comeback.
▪ riposte formal a quick and clever answer:
Anna produced the perfect riposte.
▪ rejoinder formal a quick answer, especially a clever or rude one:
If he confronts them, he’ll run the risk of a sharp rejoinder.