Counterpunched

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Struck back with a return blow immediately after receiving an opponent's punch, as a boxer does in the ring
2. Answered an opponent's blow with a swift retaliatory punch delivered in the same exchange
3. Responded to an attack by hitting back at once, especially a punch thrown in reply to one received

Etymology: "Counterpunched" is the past tense and past participle of "counterpunch," and the verb is a simple compound: "counter-" plus "punch." The sense it carries is literal and physical. To counterpunch is to land a blow in return while, or just after, absorbing one from your opponent, so the word describes a reply struck with the fist rather than an argument answered with words. The first element, "counter-," comes from Old French "contre," meaning "against" or "in opposition," which in turn descends from Latin "contra." English has used it for centuries as a prefix meaning "opposing" or "in return," as in "counterattack" or "counterweight." The second element, "punch," is the familiar word for a blow struck with the closed fist, and the compound simply joins the two ideas: a punch thrown back at an opponent.