requite

1
as in to compensate
to provide (someone) with a just payment for loss or injury the company requited the employee who had fallen on the ice while leaving work by promptly paying all his medical bills, hoping that would stave off a lawsuit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to avenge
to punish in kind the wrongdoer responsible for the future writer would later requite the abuse he suffered at the hands of his classmates by creating scathing portraits of them in his novels

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb requite contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of requite are reciprocate, retaliate, and return. While all these words mean "to give back usually in kind or in quantity," requite implies a paying back according to one's preference and often not equivalently.

requited her love with cold indifference

When can reciprocate be used instead of requite?

The words reciprocate and requite can be used in similar contexts, but reciprocate implies a mutual or equivalent exchange or a paying back of what one has received.

reciprocated their hospitality by inviting them for a visit

When is retaliate a more appropriate choice than requite?

In some situations, the words retaliate and requite are roughly equivalent. However, retaliate usually implies a paying back of injury in exact kind, often vengefully.

the enemy retaliated by executing their prisoners

When might return be a better fit than requite?

While the synonyms return and requite are close in meaning, return implies a paying or giving back.

returned their call
return good for evil

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of requite Reflecting Lee’s turmoil as he’s tormented by heroin withdrawals and his not entirely requited affection for Allerton, the film is moody, and the sets reflect the interior landscapes of its characters. Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 16 Dec. 2024 In the book, the main character falls in love with an android that only pretends to requite his feelings. IEEE Spectrum, 22 Mar. 2023 But his love wasn’t always requited. Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2023 Looks like the love Taylor Swift has for Grey’s Anatomy is fully requited! Starr Bowenbank, Billboard, 15 Feb. 2023 An intensity which can be called religious characterizes the devotion shown to their community by literally millions of people who routinely sacrifice — time, money, labor — to remark that devotion; and, using their own language, methods, and skills, to requite the community. William F. Buckley Jr., National Review, 26 Nov. 2020 There’s a lot to requite my love. Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 18 Aug. 2020 Employers ought to requite that trust by mandating that their staff who work indoors with other employees are vaccinated for Covid-19. Zachary M. Seward, Quartz, 30 July 2021 Instead, the inciting incidents are all common or garden-variety romantic mishaps — infidelity, unplanned pregnancies, feelings undeclared lest they're not requited. Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Jan. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for requite
Verb
  • But to compensate for the gap in conventional capabilities and lower-yield nuclear weapons, Europe would have to rely on extended deterrence provided by its two nuclear states.
    Mark S. Bell, Foreign Affairs, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Trump has also referred to a rare earth minerals agreement as a way for the US to be compensated for the aid and military assistance sent to Ukraine.
    Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The 6-foot-7 center scored 17 points, pulled down seven boards and blocked six shots in a 72-65 win over LSU in the regional final, avenging a Sweet 16 loss to those same Tigers in Albany at this time a year ago.
    Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Brooklyn will be looking to avenge a 120-101 home loss to Dallas on March 24.
    C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 30 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The feds said trial evidence would have proven how Adams partly repaid the bribes by forcing former FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro to disregard safety concerns by prematurely opening a skyscraper in Midtown housing Turkey’s consulate in time for a visit by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
    Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2025
  • When asked if Rambo ever provided a reason for not repaying her, Patel said no.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • All parties have reimbursed the man for their shares of the expenses.
    Ashley Vega, People.com, 24 Mar. 2025
  • On February 11, three days after Wright’s home burned to the ground, the governor issued an order to reimburse childcare workers for 30 days.
    Christine Ro, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • That explanation has failed to satisfy Democrats who say that plans for imminent military strikes are regularly classified.
    David Klepper, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2025
  • One of the requirements to satisfy the banks into loaning Arsenal the money was a commitment for Wenger to stay for five years.
    Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Requite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/requite. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!