A rejoinder is a reply — and not a soft one. It is the line you throw back, often sharp, clever, or a bit rude.

A rejoinder is a replyrejoinder是一種回話——and not a soft one而且不是溫和的那種。It is the line you throw back它是你回敬回去的那句話，often sharp, clever, or a bit rude常常很尖銳、機靈，或有點沒禮貌。

In stories and newspapers you meet “a stinging rejoinder.” In everyday talk people say comeback, retort, or just reply. This word feels formal or literary.

In stories and newspapers在故事和新聞裡，you meet 'a stinging rejoinder.'你會遇到'a stinging rejoinder'（一句辛辣的回話）。In everyday talk in日常對話裡，people say comeback, retort, or just reply大家會說comeback、retort，或乾脆說reply。This word feels formal or literary這個字給人的感覺是正式或文學性的。

Lawyers also inherited it from old French law language, where the infinitive was used as a noun for a kind of official answer in court.

Lawyers also inherited it from old French law language律師也從古法文的法律用語繼承了這個字，where the infinitive was used as a noun for a kind of official answer in court在那裡，這個動詞原形被拿來當名詞，指法庭上一種正式的答辯。

Though actually, it is a close cousin of rejoin in the old sense “to answer,” not “to join again” — which is the meaning of rejoin that students meet first. So the word looks like joining, but here it is talking.

Though actually不過實際上，it is a close cousin of rejoin in the old sense 'to answer'它是rejoin舊義「回答」的近親，not 'to join again'而不是「再次加入」——which is the meaning of rejoin that students meet first學生最先學到的rejoin是後面這個意思。So the word looks like joining所以這個字看起來像在講「加入」，but here it is talking但這裡講的其實是「說話」。