retaliate usually implies a paying back of injury in exact kind, often vengefully.

RETALIATE definition: 1. to hurt someone or do something harmful to someone because they have done or said something…. Learn more.

To retaliate means to get back at someone, usually through a counterattack. “Ned got hit with a cream pie, then he retaliated by throwing a bucket of Jell-O at his attackers.”

retaliate verb To return like for like, especially to return an unfriendly or hostile action with a similar one:

Definition of retaliate verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

re•tal•i•ate (ri tal′ ē āt′), v., -at•ed, -at•ing. v.i. to return like for like, esp. evil for evil: to retaliate for an injury. v.t. to requite or make return for (a wrong or injury) with the like.

retaliate: To do something in response to an action done to oneself or an associate, especially to attack or injure someone as a response to a hurtful action.

RETALIATE definition: to return like for like, especially evil for evil. See examples of retaliate used in a sentence.

retaliate meaning, definition, what is retaliate: to do something bad to someone because t...: Learn more.

If you retaliate when someone harms or annoys you, you do something which harms or annoys them in return. I was sorely tempted to retaliate.