Library / English Dictionary

RESPOND

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Show a response or a reaction to something

Synonyms:

react; respond

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "respond" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "respond"):

refuse; reject; resist (resist immunologically the introduction of some foreign tissue or organ)

acknowledge; notice (express recognition of the presence or existence of, or acquaintance with)

marvel; wonder (be amazed at)

accept; consent; go for (give an affirmative reply to; respond favorably to)

decline; refuse (show unwillingness towards)

answer (respond to a signal)

accept (react favorably to; consider right and proper)

explode (show a violent emotional reaction)

greet (react to in a certain way)

respond (respond favorably or as hoped)

stool (react to a decoy, of wildfowl)

accept (be sexually responsive to, used of a female domesticated mammal)

answer (react to a stimulus or command)

overreact (show an exaggerated response to something)

flip; flip out (react in an excited, delighted, or surprised way)

bristle (react in an offended or angry manner)

treat (regard or consider in a specific way)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Something ----s to somebody
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

respondent (someone who responds)

respondent (replying)

responder (someone who responds)

responsive (readily reacting or replying to people or events or stimuli; showing emotion)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Respond favorably or as hoped

Example:

The cancer responded to the aggressive therapy

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "respond" is one way to...):

react; respond (show a response or a reaction to something)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Derivation:

responder (someone who responds)

Sense 3

Meaning:

React verbally

Example:

We answered that we would accept the invitation

Synonyms:

answer; reply; respond

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "respond" is one way to...):

say; state; tell (express in words)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "respond"):

call back (return or repeat a telephone call)

counter (speak in response)

field (answer adequately or successfully)

sass (answer back in an impudent or insolent manner)

come back; rejoin; repay; retort; return; riposte (answer back)

bridle (respond to the reins, as of horses)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE
Somebody ----s to somebody

Sentence example:

They respond that there was a traffic accident

Derivation:

respondent; responder (someone who responds)

Credits

 Context examples: 

He was responsive to beauty, and here was cause to respond.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia not growing; responding to treatment.

(Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Remission, NCI Thesaurus)

This switch allows genes to 'turn on' so that the cell can respond to changes in the environment such as damage, and activate the regeneration program when needed.

(Regeneration mechanism discovered in mice could provide target for drugs to combat chronic liver disease, University of Cambridge)

They also responded to similar questions when the children were 7 and 8 years old.

(High amounts of screen time begin as early as infancy, National Institutes of Health)

Women in the study had earlier responded to a questionnaire indicating whether they had taken a supplement containing folic acid in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.

(New study suggests high lead levels during pregnancy linked to child obesity, National Institutes of Health)

This type of AML frequently responds to aggressive therapy.

(Acute Myeloid Leukemia with Maturation, NCI Thesaurus/WHO)

You can always respond in a few days if you want.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

A drug used to treat bladder cancer that does not respond to BCG (Bacillus Calmette Guerin).

(AD 32, NCI Dictionary)

It usually responds to induction therapy.

(Acute Myeloid Leukemia with Mutated NPM1, NCI Thesaurus)

Some types of pain respond better to certain medicines than others.

(Pain Relievers, NIH)