repartee
noun
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Dorothy Parker was known for her repartee. Upon hearing that former president Calvin Coolidge had died, the poet, short-story writer, screenwriter, and critic—famous for her acerbic wit—replied, “How can they tell?” The taciturn Coolidge, aka “Silent Cal,” obviously didn’t have a reputation for being the life of the party, but he could be counted on for the occasional bon mot, as when a Washington, D.C., hostess told him, “You must talk to me, Mr. President. I made a bet today that I could get more than two words out of you,” and he replied, “You lose.” Repartee, our word for a quick, sharp reply (and for skill with such replies) comes from the French repartie, of the same meaning. Repartie itself is formed from the French verb repartir, meaning “to retort.”
Examples of repartee in a Sentence
Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 2 Feb. 2024
Romance, jealousy, and unexpected reunions combine for a spirited, comedic romp, filled with witty repartee and otherworldly surprises.
—David Catlin, The Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2024
Shawn and Gus' witty repartee was never offset by more than one or two deaths to people per episode.
—EW.com, 26 Feb. 2024
The rapid-fire repartee and seamless synergy between the two got a harsh shake-up in the form of the Doctor’s regeneration into the 12th, played by Peter Capaldi.
—Maya Phillips, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2023
See all Example Sentences for repartee 
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“Repartee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repartee. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
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repartee
noun
-ˌär-
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