Retaliation means doing something harmfulcausing damage, pain, or bad effects or punishingintended to make someone suffer for bad behavior in response to an injury, insultan offensive or disrespectful remark or action, or attack. It is often used when someone reacts to what another person has done, usually with the aim of getting back at them.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-02. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /rɪˌtæliˈeɪʃən/
Easy pronunciation: ri-TAL-ee-AY-shun (approximate spelling).
Stress: Primary stress on the fourth syllable, with secondary stress on the second syllable.
Noun meaning action taken in return for an injury or offense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-11-02. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Retaliation Meaning
an act of getting back at someone after they hurt or wronged you
Part of speech: noun
Definition: action taken in return for an injury or offense
Example: He warned that any attack would bring retaliation.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- revenge — Fits the main sense of getting back at someone for harm or wrongdoing.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-02. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Retaliation Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- revenge
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-02. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Using retaliation for any disagreement or ordinary response, when it usually means a harmful or punishing response.
- Confusing retaliation with reply or response in neutral situations.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-02. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does retaliation mean?
Retaliation is action taken in response to an injury, offense, or attack, usually to punish or get back at the other person.
What is a simple synonym for retaliation?
Revenge is the closest simple synonym in this sense.
Is retaliation always violent?
No. It can be violent, but it can also mean other harmful or punishing actions taken in response to wrongdoing.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-02. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
