1.
retaliation; payback; tit for tat; getting even
Striking back immediately after being wronged. Implies a swift, proportional response to an offense, like hitting back right away.
すぐにしっぺ返しを食らった。
I got hit with retaliation right away.
悪口を言ったら、しっぺ返しにもっと酷いことを言われた。
When I badmouthed him, he retaliated by saying something even worse.
関税を引き上げたら、相手国からしっぺ返しを受けた。
When we raised tariffs, we faced retaliation from the other country.
Originally from a Zen Buddhist practice called 竹篦 where a master strikes a student's hand with a bamboo stick. The student would immediately strike back — hence the 返し (returning). In modern usage, it refers to any quick, proportional retaliation. Common in both personal and international contexts.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- しっぺ返しを食らう: to suffer retaliation
- しっぺ返しを受ける: to receive retaliation
- しっぺ返しに: in retaliation; as payback
- しっぺ返しをする: to retaliate
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 仕返し: revenge; retaliation — broader and more deliberate; can be planned over time
- 報復: retaliation; reprisal — more formal, often used in military or diplomatic contexts
- 逆襲: counterattack — emphasizes fighting back, especially from a disadvantaged position
- 八つ当たり: venting anger on an innocent party — misdirected frustration, not proportional retaliation