reply vs riposte

reply and riposte both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
reply	Yes	No	Yes	No
riposte	Yes	No	Yes	No

As nouns, riposte is a hyponym of reply; that is, riposte is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than reply:

reply: the speech act of continuing a conversational exchange
riposte: a quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one)

As verbs, riposte is a hyponym of reply; that is, riposte is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than reply:

Other hyponyms of reply include call back, counter, field, sass, come back, rejoin, repay, retort, return, bridle.

reply (noun)	riposte (noun)
the speech act of continuing a conversational exchange	(fencing) a counterattack made immediately after successfully parrying the opponents lunge
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation	a quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one)

reply (verb)	riposte (verb)
react verbally	answer back
	make a return thrust