Meaning & use
reciprocate
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To give or show something in return for what someone has given or shown you.
Grammar: With an object: reciprocate a kindness; without: I invited her, and she reciprocated.
Patterns
- reciprocate something
- reciprocate with something
He invited us to dinner, and we reciprocated the next week.
She did not reciprocate his feelings.
I'd like to reciprocate your kindness.
verbintransitivetechnical
To move back and forth in a straight line, as parts of an engine do.
Grammar: No object; mostly used in engineering.
The piston reciprocates inside the cylinder.
Word forms
| third person singular | reciprocates |
|---|---|
| past tense | reciprocated |
| past participle | reciprocated |
| -ing form | reciprocating |
Common combinations
- reciprocate a favor
- I hope to reciprocate the favor soon.
- reciprocate feelings
- She did not reciprocate his feelings.
- reciprocate a gesture
- The country reciprocated the gesture.
- reciprocate in kind
- They reciprocated in kind.
Synonyms and how they differ
- return
- The everyday word and works for favors, calls and feelings.
- repay
- Stresses paying back what you owe, often money or help.
- requite
- A literary word, mostly for feelings of love.
Opposites
Word family
- reciprocal adjective
- done by each side to the other
- reciprocity noun
- a mutual exchange of benefits
- reciprocation noun
- the act of giving back
Commonly confused: reciprocate or recuperate?
reciprocate vs recuperate
Recuperate means to recover from illness and is unrelated.
Practice
You helped me move last month, so let me ___ by helping you paint.
Choose one answer.
Reciprocate means give something in return. Recognize and recover do not describe returning a favor.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “reciprocate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.