answer – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of answer

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to answer to sb
Participle: answered to sb
Gerund: answering to sb

Cognates

-

Indicative

Present

Ianswer to sb
youanswer to sb
he;she;itanswers to sb
weanswer to sb
youanswer to sb
theyanswer to sb

Perfect

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

Past

Ianswered to sb
youanswered to sb
he;she;itanswered to sb
weanswered to sb
youanswered to sb
theyanswered to sb

Pluperfect

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

Future

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

Future Perfect

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

Subjunctive

Present

Ianswer to sb
youanswer to sb
he;she;itanswer to sb
weanswer to sb
youanswer to sb
theyanswer to sb

Perfect

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

Imperfect

Ianswered to sb
youanswered to sb
he;she;itanswered to sb
weanswered to sb
youanswered to sb
theyanswered to sb

Pluperfect

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

Conditional

Present

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

Perfect

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

Imperative

youanswer to sb
weLet's answer to sb
youanswer to sb

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

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

Perfect

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

Past

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

Pluperfect

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

Future

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

Future Perfect

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

Conditional

Present

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

Perfect

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

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)