respond

1 of 2

noun

re·​spond ri-ˈspänd How to pronounce respond (audio)
: an engaged pillar supporting an arch or closing a colonnade or arcade

respond

2 of 2

verb

responded; responding; responds

intransitive verb

1
: to say something in return : make an answer
respond to criticism
2
a
: to react in response
responded to a call for help
b
: to show favorable reaction
respond to surgery
3
: to be answerable
respond in damages
responder noun

Examples of respond in a Sentence

Verb She hasn't yet responded to my letter. My mother responded to my request with a firm no. The teacher asked a question, but the student didn't respond. “Are you ready?” he asked. “No,” she responded. When I asked him what he was doing, he responded that it was none of my business. Police quickly responded to the call for help. She responded to their decision by threatening to quit.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
When a deputy caught up with the vehicle, the driver did not at first respond to emergency lights and sirens, authorities said. Julia Daye, Sacramento Bee, 16 Feb. 2024 Subject at the duck pond in Roseburg called in requesting medical respond because his brain has been extracted by Hitler. Matt Thompson, Spin, 5 Oct. 2023 The Accessibility tab offers granular settings for how quickly controls respond, whether ANC works with only one earpiece in (off by default), whether spatial audio tracks the location of your iPhone or your head, tone volume adjustments, and even the delay between volume swipes. Joe Hindy, PCMAG, 18 Sep. 2023 Harris said the response to the call for help in the hours after Russell’s disappearance was much like the respond when Aniah was abducted. Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 21 July 2023 In respond, the Zambia Police told me that … the police will really investigate at the bottom of the issue. Debora Patta, CBS News, 2 July 2023 Piling further pressure on Netanyahu, Israel’s High Court on Sunday gave him a week to a respond to a petition calling for him to be held in contempt of court. Hadas Gold, CNN, 26 Mar. 2023 How did Denny's respond? Rae Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 24 Jan. 2023 The Monty magic is working and those public kisses pay off, a reminder that even adults playing a kid’s game for a living respond to overt praise from the boss. Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Nov. 2022
Verb
White House representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2024 Jacksonville police responded to a report of two gunshot victims 3:07 a.m. Sunday and subsequently arrested Reginald Dwayne Kelly, 31, in connection to the incident. Amir Mahmoud, arkansasonline.com, 17 Mar. 2024 An Alameda police officer trained in water rescue who was one of the first to respond went into the water but could not rescue him, authorities said. Harry Harris, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024 The Dodgers did not respond to questions from The Times for this article. Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2024 Officers in the area responded to Landsharks, 808 Broad Ripple Ave., upon hearing gunshots just after 1 a.m. Rory Appleton, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Mar. 2024 The San Mateo Heritage Alliance did not respond to Fortune’s request for comment. Byalena Botros, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024 Hare was fatally shot after responding to a call early Friday on Interstate 40, according to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 16 Mar. 2024 Alaska Airlines and Spirit AeroSystems did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'respond.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English respounde, literally, reply, from Anglo-French respuns, respunt response

Verb

alteration of Middle English respounden, from Anglo-French respundre, from Latin respondēre to promise in return, answer, from re- + spondēre to promise — more at spouse

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1572, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of respond was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near respond

Cite this Entry

“Respond.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/respond. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

respond

verb
re·​spond
ri-ˈspänd
1
: to say something in return : make an answer
2
a
: to react in response
note how the animal's eyes respond to light
b
: to have a favorable reaction
the patient is responding to treatment

Medical Definition

respond

intransitive verb
re·​spond ri-ˈspänd How to pronounce respond (audio)
1
: to react in response
2
: to show favorable reaction
respond to chemotherapy

More from Merriam-Webster on respond

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