retort
re·tort/ɹɪˈtɔɹt/noun, verb
retort is spelled R-E-T-O-R-T: 6 letters and 2 syllables (re·tort). It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 33,236th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, retort means “A sharp or witty reply, or one which turns an argument against its originator; a comeback” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of retort is retorts.
How many letters and syllables are in retort?
| Letters | 6: R-E-T-O-R-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: re·tort |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 33,236th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is retort?
Retort appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 33,236th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce retort?
- US /ɹɪˈtɔɹt/
- UK /ɹɪˈtɔːt/
Retort has 2 syllables, split re·tort in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-AcpoKrane-retort.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with retort?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as retort from its last stressed vowel (/ɔɹt/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: rotter.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of retort
- retorts plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- retorting participle, present
- retorted participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does retort mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A sharp or witty reply, or one which turns an argument against its originator; a comeback.
He countered her insult with a clever retort.
- 2
A flask with a rounded base and a long neck that is bent down and tapered, used to heat a liquid for distillation.
- 3
An airtight vessel in which material is subjected to high temperatures in the chemical industry or as part of an industrial manufacturing process, especially during the smelting and forging of metal.
- 4
A pressure cooker.
- 5
A crematory furnace.
verb
- 1
To say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation.
- 2
To make a remark which reverses an argument upon its originator; to return, as an argument, accusation, censure, or incivility.
to retort the charge of vanity
- 3
To bend or curve back.
a retorted line
- 4
To throw back; to reverberate; to reflect.
- 5
To heat in a retort.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Retort in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | réplique, riposte, repartie , rétorquer, lancer , cornue |
| German | schlagfertige Antwort, Erwiderung, Retourkutsche , Retorte , Autoklav |
| Portuguese | réplica , retorquir, replicar, retrucar, repostar , balão |
| Spanish | réplica, contrarréplica, despachurramiento, espachurramiento, despachurro, retruco |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does retort come from?
From Middle English retorte, from Latin retortus, from retorquēre (“to be forced to twist back”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).