Answering — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun

Meaning & Definition of Answering

Answering (verb)

  1. to speak or write in reply
  2. to be or make oneself responsible or accountable
  3. to make amends, atone
  4. to reply to someone especially in a rude way

Answering (noun)

  1. a machine that receives telephone calls by playing a recorded message and usually by recording messages from callers
  2. a commercial service that answers telephone calls for its clients

Answering (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to speak or write in reaction to a question or to another reaction

    "didn't answer right away when the detective asked him where he'd been for the last three hours"

    similar: coming back, rejoining, replying, responding, retorting, returning, riposting
    related: acknowledging, commenting, communicating, corresponding, reacting, remarking, countering, defending, denying, explaining, fielding, rebutting, refuting
    opposite: asking, inquiring, questioning
    near: challenging, cross-examining, examining, grilling, interrogating, pumping, quizzing, polling, querying, surveying

  2. to be in agreement on every point

    "sorry, I haven't seen anyone answering to that description"

    similar: according, agreeing, checking, chording, cohering, coinciding, comporting, conforming, consisting, corresponding, dovetailing, fitting, going, harmonizing, jibing, rhyming, sorting, squaring, tallying, falling in with
    related: equaling, matching, paralleling, aligning, lining up, registering
    opposite: differing (from), disagreeing (with)
    near: contradicting, disputing, gainsaying, negating, nullifying, clashing, conflicting, jarring

  3. to do what is required by the terms of

    "I don't have a box cutter as such, but will this knife answer the purpose?"

    similar: completing, complying (with), filling, fulfilling, keeping, meeting, redeeming, satisfying, abiding by, making good
    related: concluding, consummating, finalizing, finishing, perfecting, accomplishing, achieving, bringing about, bringing off, carrying out, effecting, committing, compassing, discharging, executing, following through (with), making, performing
    opposite: breaching, breaking, transgressing, violating
    near: defaulting (on), disregarding, forgetting, ignoring, neglecting, overlooking, overpassing, passing over, slighting

  4. to find an answer for through reasoning

    "try to answer this riddle"

    similar: breaking, cracking, doping (out), figuring out, puzzling (out), resolving, riddling (out), solving, unraveling, unriddling, working, working out
    related: concluding, deciding, deducing, gathering, inferring, judging, reasoning, clearing (up), ironing out, straightening (out), unscrambling, untangling, untying, assuming, conjecturing, divining, guessing, presuming, speculating, deciphering, decoding

Related Entry: Answer (verb)

Answer is a different word from Answering. The synonyms below are for answer, not for answering.

  1. to speak or write in reaction to a question or to another reaction

    "didn't answer right away when the detective asked him where he'd been for the last three hours"

    similar: come back, rejoin, reply, respond, retort, return, riposte
    related: acknowledge, comment, communicate, correspond, react, remark, counter, defend, deny, explain, field, rebut, refute
    opposite: ask, inquire, question
    near: challenge, cross-examine, examine, grill, interrogate, pump, quiz, poll, query, survey

  2. to be in agreement on every point

    "sorry, I haven't seen anyone answering to that description"

    similar: accord, agree, check, chord, cohere, coincide, comport, conform, consist, correspond, dovetail, fit, go, harmonize, jibe, rhyme, sort, square, tally, fall in with
    related: equal, match, parallel, align, line up, register
    opposite: differ (from), disagree (with)
    near: contradict, dispute, gainsay, negate, nullify, clash, conflict, jar

  3. to do what is required by the terms of

    "I don't have a box cutter as such, but will this knife answer the purpose?"

    similar: complete, comply (with), fill, fulfill, keep, meet, redeem, satisfy, abide by, make good
    related: conclude, consummate, finalize, finish, perfect, accomplish, achieve, bring about, bring off, carry out, effect, commit, compass, discharge, execute, follow through (with), make, perform
    opposite: breach, break, transgress, violate
    near: default (on), disregard, forget, ignore, neglect, overlook, overpass, pass over, slight

  4. to find an answer for through reasoning

    "try to answer this riddle"

    similar: break, crack, dope (out), figure out, puzzle (out), resolve, riddle (out), solve, unravel, unriddle, work, work out
    related: conclude, decide, deduce, gather, infer, judge, reason, clear (up), iron out, straighten (out), unscramble, untangle, untie, assume, conjecture, divine, guess, presume, speculate, decipher, decode

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Answering

The most common words with a similar meaning to Answering:

coming back, rejoining, replying, responding, retorting, returning, riposting, according, agreeing, checking, chording, cohering, coinciding, comporting, conforming, consisting, corresponding, dovetailing, fitting, going, harmonizing, jibing, rhyming, sorting, squaring, tallying, completing, complying (with), filling, fulfilling, keeping, meeting, redeeming, satisfying, breaking, cracking, doping (out), figuring out, puzzling (out), resolving

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Answering

Words with the opposite meaning of Answering:

asking, inquiring, questioning, differing (from), disagreeing (with), breaching, breaking, transgressing, violating

Related Words for Answering

acknowledging, commenting, communicating, reacting, remarking, countering, defending, denying, explaining, fielding, rebutting, refuting, equaling, matching, paralleling, aligning, lining up, registering, concluding, consummating, finalizing, finishing, perfecting, accomplishing, achieving, bringing about, bringing off, carrying out, effecting, committing

Near Antonyms of Answering

challenging, cross-examining, examining, grilling, interrogating, pumping, quizzing, polling, querying, surveying, contradicting, disputing, gainsaying, negating, nullifying, clashing, conflicting, jarring, defaulting (on), disregarding, forgetting, ignoring, neglecting, overlooking, overpassing, passing over, slighting

Word Forms of Answering

Inflections: answered, answered back, answering back, answers back

Derived words: answerer (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Answering

First known use: before 12th centuryi

Words & Phrases Containing Answering

answering machine, answering service

Frequently Asked Questions about Answering

What does "Answering" mean?

"Answering" means to speak or write in reply. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to speak or write in reply. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Answering"?

Other words for "Answering" include coming back, rejoining, replying, responding, retorting, returning, riposting and according. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Answering" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Answering"?

There are 105 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Answering". Common alternatives include coming back, rejoining, replying, responding, retorting, returning, riposting, according, agreeing and checking.

What is the opposite of "Answering"?

Antonyms of "Answering" include asking, inquiring, questioning, differing (from), disagreeing (with), breaching, breaking and transgressing. Near antonyms include challenging, cross-examining, examining and grilling.

How do you use "Answering" in a sentence?

Examples of "Answering" in a sentence: "didn't answer right away when the detective asked him where he'd been for the last three hours"; "sorry, I haven't seen anyone answering to that description"; "I don't have a box cutter as such, but will this knife answer the purpose?".

Is "Answering" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Answering" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

What is the origin of the word "Answering"?

First known use: before 12th centuryi.

What is another word for "Answering" meaning "to speak or write in reaction to a question or to another reaction"?

When "Answering" (verb) means to speak or write in reaction to a question or to another reaction, synonyms include coming back, rejoining, replying, responding, retorting and returning. Opposites in this sense include asking, inquiring and questioning.