réparties

Réparties is the plural form of repartie, a French noun that designates a quick, witty reply or a sharp retort in conversation. In everyday French, having repartie means you can respond rapidly and cleverly, often with humor or irony. The expression avoir de la repartie is used to praise someone’s verbal agility, while manquer de repartie indicates a lack of a ready comeback.

In modern usage, repartie appears in media, journalism, stand‑up, and informal chat, where a well‑timed repartie can defuse tension or punctuate a discussion. The term is closely related to the English repartee, though cultural nuance and tone differ between languages.

Examples illustrate the idea, such as: “Elle a une grande repartie, elle répond toujours sur le vif,” or “Après la plaisanterie, il réplique avec une repartie fulgurante.” In plural, reparties can refer to a collection of such replies or to lines of witty dialogue within an exchange.

See also repartee, wit, banter.