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Glite Dictionary
🔗 To join again 💬 To reply sharply
to rejoin

to rejoin

3 6.4
Answer a remark quickly in a clever or sharp way
  • verb
  • /rɪˈdʒɔɪn/
translation icon : replicar
  • "I can't believe you said that," he rejoined with a smirk, clearly unimpressed.
  • rejoin now
  • say, rejoined

Examples

  • "At least," Seth rejoined, winking at Allyn, "I left the league on two feet."

    Fiction book (1995)

  • "That's not true!" she rejoined sharply, defending her position.

  • "Because," he rejoined hoarsely, his voice half-choking on the words, "because it's there."

    Fiction book (1991)

  • "You needn't try to be funny," he rejoined bitterly.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Steinmetz rejoined, "And I used to be a hunchback."

    Academic text (1999)

  • In reply, Curley tartly rejoined that he found the ACLU's conception of free speech "untenable and farfetched."

    Academic text (1996)

  • "You really think so?" Maria rejoined, raising her eyebrow in challenge.

Synonyms

to respond
vsto rejoin
∞ 1.0

To say or do something as an answer to what someone says

emphasises quickness and sharp wit rather than general reaction
to return
vsto rejoin
309 1.9

Give a similar action or feeling in reply

focuses on fast verbal sharp replies not on reacting to actions or gestures
to come back
vsto rejoin
  • Informal
67 4.1

To reply quickly and strongly to a remark

is used more generally not only as a reply to criticism or remarks
to retort
vsto rejoin
19 6.4

To reply quickly and sharply in a clever or angry way

favours quick clever wit over anger in its sharp replies
to shot back
vsto rejoin
  • Informal
18 4.8

To answer quickly in a sharp, angry way

tends to be more witty and less merely defensive or angry in replies
to riposte
vsto rejoin
1 9.0

To reply quickly and sharply in speech or as a counterattack

refers only to fast verbal replies rather than physical counterattacks

Antonyms

to ignore
∞ 1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

How Sharp

retort
14 6.1
to rejoin
3 6.4
to answer
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

rejoin infinitive
rejoined past
rejoined past participle
rejoining present participle
rejoins third person singular

Morphology

rejoin = join (opaque) = re + join

Although analysable as 're-' + 'join', the sense 'to reply' is not inferable from 'join' by most learners and reflects a historical sense shift.

Etymology

Rejoin comes from the parts re- meaning 'again' and join meaning 'to put together'. A helpful way to remember the talking sense is to think of 'joining' your words back into the conversation as an answer, so to rejoin someone is to reply quickly or sharply.