verb
reciprocate
rih-SIHP-ruh-kayt
verb
1
To respond to an action or feeling with a similar one in return.
"He reciprocated her kindness by helping her move house."
"She smiled, and he reciprocated with a smile of his own."
2
Of machinery, to move back and forth repeatedly, like a piston.
"The engine's piston reciprocates inside the cylinder thousands of times a minute."
How to Use Reciprocate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo give back the same kind of feeling, favor, or action you received.
Common mistake
Mostly used for feelings and favors between people ("reciprocate a compliment"); the back-and-forth machine sense is more technical and specific to engines.
Common pairings
reciprocate a feeling
reciprocate the favor
fail to reciprocate
Word Forms
reciprocated past tense, reciprocates singular
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He _____ her kindness by helping her move house.
Etymology
From Latin reciprocare, "to move back and forth," from reciprocus (see "reciprocal").