answer – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of answer

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to answer
Participle: answered
Gerund: answering

Cognates

-

Indicative

Present

Ianswer
youanswer
he;she;itanswers
weanswer
youanswer
theyanswer

Perfect

Ihave answered
youhave answered
he;she;ithas answered
wehave answered
youhave answered
theyhave answered

Past

Ianswered
youanswered
he;she;itanswered
weanswered
youanswered
theyanswered

Pluperfect

Ihad answered
youhad answered
he;she;ithad answered
wehad answered
youhad answered
theyhad answered

Future

Iwill answer
youwill answer
he;she;itwill answer
wewill answer
youwill answer
theywill answer

Future Perfect

Iwill have answered
youwill have answered
he;she;itwill have answered
wewill have answered
youwill have answered
theywill have answered

Subjunctive

Present

Ianswer
youanswer
he;she;itanswer
weanswer
youanswer
theyanswer

Perfect

Ihave answered
youhave answered
he;she;ithave answered
wehave answered
youhave answered
theyhave answered

Imperfect

Ianswered
youanswered
he;she;itanswered
weanswered
youanswered
theyanswered

Pluperfect

Ihad answered
youhad answered
he;she;ithad answered
wehad answered
youhad answered
theyhad answered

Conditional

Present

Iwould answer
youwould answer
he;she;itwould answer
wewould answer
youwould answer
theywould answer

Perfect

Iwould have answered
youwould have answered
he;she;itwould have answered
wewould have answered
youwould have answered
theywould have answered

Imperative

youanswer
weLet's answer
youanswer

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

Iam answering
youare answering
he;she;itis answering
weare answering
youare answering
theyare answering

Perfect

Ihave been answering
youhave been answering
he;she;ithas been answering
wehave been answering
youhave been answering
theyhave been answering

Past

Iwas answering
youwere answering
he;she;itwas answering
wewere answering
youwere answering
theywere answering

Pluperfect

Ihad been answering
youhad been answering
he;she;ithad been answering
wehad been answering
youhad been answering
theyhad been answering

Future

Iwill be answering
youwill be answering
he;she;itwill be answering
wewill be answering
youwill be answering
theywill be answering

Future Perfect

Iwill have been answering
youwill have been answering
he;she;itwill have been answering
wewill have been answering
youwill have been answering
theywill have been answering

Conditional

Present

Iwould be answering
youwould be answering
he;she;itwould be answering
wewould be answering
youwould be answering
theywould be answering

Perfect

Iwould have been answering
youwould have been answering
he;she;itwould have been answering
wewould have been answering
youwould have been answering
theywould have been answering

Other

Verbs conjugated like 'answer'

abandon, abduct, abear, aberr, abject, abord, abort, abound, abraid, abray, abrook, abscind, abscond, absist, absorb, abstain, abstract, accend, accent, accept, etc. (List truncated at 20 verbs)

Verbs similar to 'answer'

answere, anger, manswear, reanswer, unswear, admier, affeer, alter, amber, anchor,

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

to give written or spoken response
answer back, counter, react, rejoin, reply, respond, retort, return
to make reparation for an offence, crime, mistake or deficiency
abide, acquit, answer for, assoil, atone, expiate, make amends, propitiate, redeem, repair, reparate
satisfy
discharge, fulfill, do, meet, suffice, suit, serve
solve
elucidate, clarify, explain
argue
refute, rebut, plead, contest, dispute, rejoin, react, defend

Antonyms

argue
harmonize, overlook, ignore, propound

Additional Information

Etymology

1. O.E. andswaru, from and- "against" (see ante-) + -swaru "affirmation," from swerian "to swear," reflecting the original sense of "make a sworn statement rebutting a charge." A common Gmc. compound (cf. O.S. antswor, O.N. andsvar, O.Fris. ondser), implying a P.Gmc. *andswara-. Meaning "a reply to a question," the main modern sense, was in O.E. Answerable "liable to be held responsible" is from 1548.
2. Etymology tree
3. Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent-
4. Proto-Indo-European *-s
5. Proto-Indo-European *h₂éntsder.
6. Proto-Germanic *anda-
7. Proto-Indo-European *swer-der.
8. Proto-Germanic *swarjaną
9. Proto-Germanic *andaswarjaną
10. Old English andswerian
11. Middle English answeren
12. English answer
13. From Middle English answeren, andswaren, answerien, from Old English andswarian, answarien (“to answer, to respond, to deny an allegation under oath”), from Proto-Germanic *andaswarōną, *andaswarjaną (“to answer, to give a response, to rebut”), from *anda- (“against”) + *swarjaną, *swarōną (“to swear an oath, to answer, to respond”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- (“face, forehead”) and *swer- (“to swear”). Cognate with Old Frisian ondswera (“to answer”), Danish ansvare (“to answer, account for”), Swedish ansvara (“to answer, account for”), Icelandic andsvara (“to answer, reply”). See: Middle English 'answeren', Old English 'andswarian', Danish 'ansvare', Swedish 'ansvara', Icelandic 'andsvara'.

Verbs referencing "answer"

Swedish svara.

Sample Sentences

  • [...] to the lazy gentleman, and says with a faint smile that he believes She is a very strong Ship; to which the lazy gentleman, looking first in his questioner 's eye and then very hard in the wind 's, answers unexpectedly and ominously, that She need be. Upon this the lazy gentleman instantly falls very low in the popular estimation, and the passengers, with looks of defiance, whisper to each other that [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] ‘Are you a good sailor ? ’ a very decided negative, now either parried the inquiry with the evasive reply, ‘Oh ! I suppose I 'm no worse than anybody else; ’ or, reckless of all moral obligations, answered boldly ‘Yes: ’ and with some irritation too, as though they would add, ‘I should like to know what you see in me, sir, particularly, to justify suspicion ! ’ (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] will I more than hint at my foreigner-like mistake in supposing that a party of most active persons, who scrambled on board at the peril of their lives as we approached the wharf, were newsmen, answering to that industrious class at home; whereas, despite the leathern wallets of news slung about the necks of some, and the broad sheets in the hands of all, they were Editors, who boarded ships in [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • After a moment 's hesitation, I answered ‘No, ’ at hazard. ‘Not right away ? ’ cried the waiter, with an amount of surprise that made me start. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • Good order, cleanliness, and comfort, pervaded every corner of the building. The various classes, who were gathered round their teachers, answered the questions put to them with readiness and intelligence, and in a spirit of cheerful contest for precedence which pleased me very much. Those who were at play, were gleesome and noisy as other [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • The Boylston boys, as may be readily supposed, have very much the advantage of the others in point of personal appearance. They were in their school-room when I came upon them, and answered correctly, without book, such questions as where was England; how far was it; what was its population; its capital city; its form of government; and so forth. They sang a song too, about a farmer [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] the course of things. One luckless wight contrived to upset the gravy; and then gravy had to be got up _de novo_, with due care and formality, Aunt Chloe watching and stirring with dogged precision, answering shortly, to all suggestions of haste, that she “ warn't a going to have raw gravy on the table, to help nobody's catchings. ” One tumbled down with the water, and had to go to the spring for more; [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • ‘Oh dear yes, ’ he answered. ‘To be sure she has. ’ (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • He stopped his work when we went in, took off his spectacles, and answered freely to everything that was said to him, but always with a strange kind of pause first, and in a low, thoughtful voice. He wore a paper hat of his own making, and was pleased to have it noticed [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • ‘But you are resigned now ! ’ said one of the gentlemen after a short pause, during which he had resumed his former manner. He answered with a sigh that seemed quite reckless in its hopelessness, ‘Oh yes, oh yes ! I am resigned to it. ’ ‘And are a better man, you think ? ’ ‘Well, I hope so: I 'm sure I hope I may be. ’ ‘And time [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • Seriously, you are... You guys. It's your fault for not answering her. (GTO Revival)