🇬🇧🇪🇸 retaliate - tomar represalias : English Lesson

Meaning of "retaliate" ("tomar represalias"), detailed definition, and a short video lesson below.

Retaliate means to try to get back at someone by doing something mean after they did something mean to you, like starting a revenge fight instead of solving the problem or walking away.

Watch and listen to this English flashcard to understand the word in more detail, with an easy example sentence.

The cookie tried to retaliate against Tim for eating it by crumbling all over his favorite shirt.

When the rooster woke Sam up at 5 a.m., Sam planned to retaliate by setting an alarm for the rooster at 4 a.m.

The sofa retaliated for years of jumping by suddenly eating the TV remote in its cushions.

When the seagull stole Jake’s sandwich, he wanted to retaliate, but all he could muster was a furious glare.

The cat retaliated against the vacuum cleaner by hiding all dust bunnies under the couch.

A girl saw a boy stomp on her picture and wanted to retaliate. He laughed; she wanted to retaliate by tearing his hat. He shoved her; she wanted to retaliate again, but she breathed, put the hat back, and chose not to retaliate. The boy looked down, surprised, and stopped wanting to retaliate.

This word is at the C2 level, which means it represents the highest mastery of English. It’s often used in specialized or highly formal contexts and helps you communicate with precision and subtlety, much like a native speaker.

Expanding your English vocabulary is one of the best ways to improve your pronunciation, spelling, and confidence in English. Watch the video above to memorize the word, understand its meaning, and see example sentences in action. Discover related words to grow your vocabulary naturally. Add words to your playlist for stress-free, effective learning—anytime, anywhere! Watch, learn, repeat.