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

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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
  • In 2020, a judge ruled that shareholders had been fairly compensated.
    Jemima McEvoy, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
  • If a borrower, in this case, the U.S. government defaults on its debt, the seller must compensate the buyer.
    Lee Ying Shan,Anniek Bao, CNBC, 28 May 2025
Verb
  • But Adams noted the league is only focused on the Chiefs seeking to avenge their Super Bowl LIX loss.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 20 May 2025
  • Listen to this article St. Augustine High School played a complete match Friday night, beating Mission Vista 25-21, 25-13, 25-23 to avenge a loss earlier this season and capture the CIF San Diego Section Division 1 boys volleyball championship at Mira Mesa High School.
    John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 May 2025
Verb
  • Men like him, who risked their lives for a country a world away, were repaid with doors slammed in their faces.
    Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 31 May 2025
  • In April, the farmers at the café received the first installments in a 10-year schedule to repay them for some of their losses.
    Ish Mafundikwa, Christian Science Monitor, 30 May 2025
Verb
  • After the collapse, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation making Santa Cruz eligible for state funding under the California Disaster Assistance Act, which reimburses local governments up to 75% of their losses from floods, wildfires, earthquakes and other disasters.
    Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 24 May 2025
  • According to campaign finance records, Long later reimbursed himself for a personal loan to the campaign using those funds.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • The service offers a number of filters for other dietary requirements, and satisfying taste and texture—not always a guarantee on ready-to-eat meals.
    Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 28 May 2025
  • With so much natural beauty right at its doorstep, this region of Chile is bound to satisfy those who are seeking a unique experience.
    Kimberley Mok, Travel + Leisure, 26 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Requite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/requite. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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