A rejoinder is a quick, clever reply to something someone has said, especially when you're responding to a criticism or argument. When your friend teases you about striking out in kickball and you shoot back with a witty comment about their own performance, that's a rejoinder.

The word comes from legal settings, where it originally meant a defendant's answer to a plaintiff's reply. In courtrooms, lawyers trade formal rejoinders as they build their cases. But in everyday conversation, a rejoinder is usually shorter and sharper.

A good rejoinder shows you're thinking on your feet. When a classmate says “That project looks like it took you five minutes,” you might offer the rejoinder: “Five focused minutes beat five distracted hours.” The key is that a rejoinder responds directly to what was just said, rather than changing the subject or staying silent.

Not every response counts as a rejoinder. Simply saying “no” or “whatever” doesn't qualify. A true rejoinder engages with the other person's point and turns it around, answers it cleverly, or defends your position with wit, without being mean. Think of it as conversational fencing: someone makes a thrust, and your rejoinder is your parry and counter-move.