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
  • As part of the settlement, Siemens Mobility agreed to compensate the employee — who filed a complaint with the agency in 2023 — without admitting to any liability.
    Ethan Wolin, Sacbee.com, 12 June 2025
  • The company is actively striving to diversify its revenue sources; however, the swift decline in COVID-19 vaccine sales has outstripped its ability to quickly compensate for these losses, resulting in the significant fall in its stock price.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Verb
  • Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, pledged to avenge the attacks.
    Christina Wilkie,Anniek Bao,Riya Bhattacharjee, CNBC, 13 June 2025
  • This avenged a loss to Plymouth North in the last year’s Division 2 championship game, which head coach Chris Costello said that loss lingered in their heads all season.
    Jack Murray, Boston Herald, 12 June 2025
Verb
  • Chicago Heights will receive a loan of $5 million, of which $2 million doesn’t need to be repaid, toward replacing nearly 300 water lines.
    Mike Nolan, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2025
  • How much of that outstanding debt schools end up having to repay would depend on some complicated math, including the program's cost and how much money its graduates earn.
    Cory Turner, NPR, 12 June 2025
Verb
  • If Jane paid using a digital app, Combs would reimburse her, but oftentimes Combs paid in cash.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 7 June 2025
  • Once an application has been approved by the city, residents can be reimbursed for expenses like food, paper goods and entertainment.
    Alecia Taylor, Kansas City Star, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • Focusing on a few key essentials is enough to satisfy Google and get most websites some quick SEO wins.
    Nick Zviadadze, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
  • While a game like No Man's Sky, with its procedural generation and ambition, might be more stunning, there's something uniquely charming and satisfying about the simplicity of Astroneer.
    Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 7 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Requite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/requite. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

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