response
Other forms: responses
A response is a reaction to a question, experience, or some other type of stimulus. If you cry at sad movies, you're having an emotional response to the drama that's taking place on the screen.
A response can come in many forms, including an answer to a question, an emotional reaction, or a reply. If a teacher asks, "Who invented the phonograph?" She hopes her students will give her the response, "Why, Thomas Edison, of course!" When a parent tells a child not to cross the street when the light is red, he hopes the response will be compliance.
Definitions of response
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the speech act of continuing a conversational exchange
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synonyms:
reply
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types:
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counterblast
a vigorous and unrestrained response
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non sequitur
a reply that has no relevance to what preceded it
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comeback, counter, rejoinder, replication, retort, return, riposte
a quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one)
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echo
a reply that repeats what has just been said
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answer
the speech act of replying to a question
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back talk, backtalk, lip, mouth, sass, sassing
an impudent or insolent rejoinder
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echolalia
an infant's repetition of sounds uttered by others
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Urim and Thummim
lots thrown to determine God's answers to yes-no questions
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defence, defense, refutation
the speech act of answering an attack on your assertions
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type of:
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speech act
the use of language to perform some act
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a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
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a phrase recited or sung by the congregation following a versicle by the priest or minister
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type of:
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phrase
an expression consisting of one or more words forming a grammatical constituent of a sentence
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phrase
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the manner in which something is greeted
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synonyms:
reception
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type of:
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greeting, salutation
(usually plural) an acknowledgment or expression of good will (especially on meeting)
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greeting, salutation
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the manner in which an electrical or mechanical device responds to an input signal or a range of input signals
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a result
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a bodily process occurring due to the effect of some antecedent stimulus or agent“his responses have slowed with age”
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synonyms:
reaction
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types:
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automatism
any reaction that occurs automatically without conscious thought or reflection (especially the undirected behavior seen in psychomotor epilepsy)
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rebound
a reaction to a crisis or setback or frustration
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overreaction
an excessive reaction; a reaction with inappropriate emotional behavior
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Fere phenomenon, GSR, Tarchanoff phenomenon, electrical skin response, electrodermal response, galvanic skin response, psychogalvanic response
a change in the electrical properties of the skin in response to stress or anxiety; can be measured either by recording the electrical resistance of the skin or by recording weak currents generated by the body
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immune reaction, immune response, immunologic response
a bodily defense reaction that recognizes an invading substance (an antigen: such as a virus or fungus or bacteria or transplanted organ) and produces antibodies specific against that antigen
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tropism
an involuntary orienting response; positive or negative reaction to a stimulus source
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taxis
a locomotor response toward or away from an external stimulus by a motile (and usually simple) organism
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kinesis
a movement that is a response to a stimulus but is not oriented with respect to the source of stimulation
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double take
a delayed reaction indicating surprise
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inborn reflex, innate reflex, instinctive reflex, physiological reaction, reflex, reflex action, reflex response, unconditioned reflex
an automatic instinctive unlearned reaction to a stimulus
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learned reaction, learned response
a reaction that has been acquired by learning
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passage, passing
a bodily reaction of changing from one place or stage to another
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answer
a nonverbal reaction
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transfusion reaction
reaction of the body to a transfusion of blood that is not compatible with its own blood; an adverse reaction can range from fever and hives to renal failure and shock and death
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accommodation reflex
reflex changes in the eyes that enable an object to be focused on the retina
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Babinski, Babinski reflex, Babinski sign
extension upward of the toes when the sole of the foot is stroked firmly on the outer side from the heel to the front; normal in infants under the age of two years but a sign of brain or spinal cord injury in older persons
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belch, belching, burp, burping, eructation
a reflex that expels gas noisily from the stomach through the mouth
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blink, blinking, eye blink, nictation, nictitation, wink, winking
a reflex that closes and opens the eyes rapidly
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blush, flush
sudden reddening of the face (as from embarrassment or guilt or shame or modesty)
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disgorgement, emesis, puking, regurgitation, vomit, vomiting
the reflex act of ejecting the contents of the stomach through the mouth
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defecation reflex, rectal reflex
normal response to the presence of feces in the rectum
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oscitance, oscitancy, yawn, yawning
an involuntary intake of breath through a wide open mouth; usually triggered by fatigue or boredom
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electric shock, electrical shock, shock
a reflex response to the passage of electric current through the body
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gulp, gulping
a spasmodic reflex of the throat made as if in swallowing
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anamnestic reaction, anamnestic response
renewed rapid production of an antibody on the second (or subsequent) encounter with the same antigen
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humoral immune response
an immune response (chiefly against bacterial invasion) that is mediated by B cells
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cell-mediated immune response
an immune response (chiefly against viral or fungal invasions or transplanted tissue) that involves T cells
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complement fixation
an immune response in which an antigen-antibody combination inactivates a complement (so it is unavailable to participate in a second antigen-antibody combination)
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ergotropism
an affinity for work
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geotropism
an orienting response to gravity
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heliotropism
an orienting response to the sun
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meteortropism
an effect of climate on biological processes (as the effect on joint pains etc.)
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neurotropism
an affinity for neural tissues
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phototropism
an orienting response to light
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trophotropism
an orienting response to food
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thermotropism
an orienting response to warmth
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chemotaxis
movement by a cell or organism in reaction to a chemical stimulus
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acquired reflex, conditional reaction, conditional reflex, conditional response, conditioned reaction, conditioned reflex, conditioned response
an acquired response that is under the control of (conditional on the occurrence of) a stimulus
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knee jerk, knee-jerk reflex, patellar reflex
a reflex extension of the leg resulting from a sharp tap on the patellar tendon
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light reflex, miosis, myosis, pupillary reflex
reflex contraction of the sphincter muscle of the iris in response to a bright light (or certain drugs) causing the pupil to become smaller
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mydriasis
reflex pupillary dilation as a muscle pulls the iris outward; occurs in response to a decrease in light or certain drugs
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micturition reflex
relaxation of the urethral sphincter in response to increased pressure in the bladder
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gag reflex, pharyngeal reflex
normal reflex consisting of retching; may be produced by touching the soft palate in the back of the mouth
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goose bump, goose pimple, goose skin, goosebump, gooseflesh, horripilation, pilomotor reflex
reflex erection of hairs of the skin in response to cold or emotional stress or skin irritation
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plantar reflex
flexion of the toes when the sole of the foot is stroked firmly on the outer side from the heel to the front in persons over the age of 2 years; under 2 years the results should be extension of the toes (Babinski reflex)
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rooting reflex
reflex consisting of head-turning and sucking movements elicited in a normal infant by gently stroking the side of the mouth or cheek
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jump, start, startle
a sudden involuntary movement
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myotactic reflex, stretch reflex
reflex contraction of a muscle when an attached tendon is pulled; important in maintaining erect posture
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suckling reflex
reflex behavior in newborn mammals; includes finding and grasping the nipple in the mouth and sucking on it and swallowing the milk
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shake, shiver, tremble
a reflex motion caused by cold or fear or excitement
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sneeze, sneezing, sternutation
a symptom consisting of the involuntary expulsion of air from the nose
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hiccough, hiccup, singultus
(usually plural) the state of having reflex spasms of the diaphragm accompanied by a rapid closure of the glottis producing an audible sound; sometimes a symptom of indigestion
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type of:
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activity, bodily function, bodily process, body process
an organic process that takes place in the body
Pronunciation
US
/rəˈspɑns/
UK
/rɛˈspɒns/
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Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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