parry
/ˈpari
/verb (parries, parrying, parried) [with object]
1Ward off (a weapon or attack) with a countermove: he parried the blow by holding his sword vertically...
- Show your opponent an opening then pull back to parry his counter attack.
- When the arms and ammunitions ran out, the volunteers used blank weapons to parry the attacks.
- The duke blocked the attack and parried the following barrage of cuts the prince delivered.
Synonyms
ward off, fend off, stave off, turn aside;
deflect, hold off, block, avert, counter, rebuff, repel, repulse, hold/keep at bay
1.1Answer (a question or accusation) evasively: he parried questions from reporters outside the building...
- As my editorial staff can vouch, there was hardly a day during the race for governor of California when I was not required to parry questions from the media, American and otherwise.
- But he parries questions with these guys, and says, ‘Are you sure you need all those - or you don't.’
- Glass, who parried questions about the veracity of those articles, should correct the record.
Synonyms
evade, sidestep, avoid, dodge, answer evasively, field, fend off, deflect, circumvent, steer clear of, fight shy of
informal duck
noun (plural parries)
An act of parrying something: the swords clashed in a parry her question met with a polite parry...
- Deb has a breakdown when her perfect parry turns out not to be.
- The humour is consistent right from the start and nearly always borders on ridiculous, which is a nice parry to the action.
- No. Walker's prologue and epilogue (a revealing look at various parries arguing over where Liszt should be buried) clearly frame the diary's events.
Origin
Late 17th century: probably representing French parez! 'ward off!', imperative of parer, from Italian parare 'ward off'.