1.reply的基本意思是“回答”“答复”“作答”,主要指用语言文字对问题、指控、辩论、质问、起诉或致意等给予回答,也可指用行动回答,是较为正式的书面用语。
2.reply可用作及物动词,也可用作不及物动词。用作不及物动词时常与介词ｔｏ或for连用; 用作及物动词时接that引导的宾语从句,有时也可引出直接引语。

reply for(v.+prep.)
代表(某人)作答; 致答词 (of one of a group) give an answer for (the other); speak on behalf of (the other)
▲reply for sb
Shall I reply for us all?我来代大家回答好吗?
David Jones rose to reply for the guests.大卫·琼斯站起来代表来宾致答词。


reply to(v.+prep.)
回复; 回答 say or do as an answer to sb
▲reply to sth
The teacher replied to John's question.老师回答了约翰提出的问题。
I wrote,but she did not reply to my letter.我写信给她,但她没有回信。
She replied to their angry question by calmly walking out of the room.她安静地走出房间,以此作为对他们气冲冲提问的回答。
The enemy did not reply to our fire.敌人对我们的炮火没有还击。
◇ 用于be ～ed结构
None of my letters have been replied to.我发出的信一封也没有回音。

reply with(v.+prep.)
以…作答 give an answer with sth
▲reply with sth
He replied with a cutting remark.他以尖刻的言语作答。
The girl replied only with a smile.这女孩仅以微笑来答复。

用作不及物动词
▲S+～(+A)
He failed to reply.他未作回答。
I asked him where to go, but he didn't reply.我问他去哪儿,可是他不回答。
When Hogg spoke to her, she replied very shortly.霍格同她谈话时,她马上回答。
I don't know how to reply.我不知怎么回答。
I wrote my friend a letter, but he never replied.我给我的朋友写了一封信,但他从没给我回信。
用作及物动词
▲S+～+that-clause
He replied that he knew nothing about the accident.他回答说对事故一无所知。
He replied that he might go.他回答说他可能去。
She replied that she would send me a fax after she had arrived in London.她回答说她到达伦敦后就给我发一个传真。
When I asked the number of households in this town he replied that there were 1883 households.当我问到这个镇有多少户时,他回答说有1883户。
When the teacher asked him why he was late, he replied that he had overslept.老师问他为什么迟到了,他回答说他睡过头了。
▲引出直接引语
“Yes,” I replied.“是的,”我答道。
“I have changed my mind.”she replied.她回答说：“我已改变主意了”。

reply, answer, respond
参见answer条。

1.请尽早给我答复。
［误］  Please reply me as early as possible.
［正］  Please reply to me as early as possible.
他们认为这封信不值得回复。
［误］  They don't think the letter worth replying.
［正］  They don't think the letter worth replying to.
［析］  reply用作及物动词时,只接that从句作宾语,而不可直接接sb/sth 作宾语,须说reply to sb/sth。
2.一周前我给他写了回信。
［误］  I have replied to his letter for a week.
［正］  I replied to his letter a week ago.
［正］  It is a week since I replied to his letter.
［析］  reply是瞬间动词,不可与表示一段时间的状语连用。

1.reply用作名词的意思是“回答,答复”,引申可指“答案”。
2.reply常与介词to连用。

in reply (to)
作为答复 as a reply
She waved her hand in reply.她挥了挥手作为回答。
He says nothing in reply to my inquiries.他没有答复我的询问。
What did he say in reply to our suggestion?他在答复我们的建议时说了些什么?

My reply may not have been polite, but he asked for it.我的回答也许不太礼貌,但这是他自找的。
I should like to think about your suggestion before I give a definite reply.我想先考虑一下你的建议,然后给你一个明确的答复。
Please leave word with my elder sister if you get a reply.如果你得到回音,请给我的姐姐留话。
She was anxiously awaiting his reply.她正急切地等待着他的回音。
The school authorities promised an immediate reply.学校领导答应立即答复。
In due course came a reply from Mr. Robin.在适当的时候来了罗宾先生的答复。
The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。
I was offended by his discourteous reply.他无礼的回答使我很生气。
Her criticism brought an immediate reply from a government spokesman.她的批评立即引起了政府发言人的回击。
I had no reply to my letter.我未获回信。
Medwin was to address his reply to him care of Mr. Westbrook.麦德文打算通过维司特布鲁克先生把回信寄给他。
She wrote a reply without any loss of time.她毫不拖延地写了回信。
He seems to be able to deduce from common sense a more or less clear reply to the question raised.他似乎能从常识推断出所提出之问题的明确回答。
His only reply was an angry stare.他唯一的回答是怒目而视。
She shrugged her shoulders and made no reply.她耸耸肩,不作回答。
As a reply to the enemy's move, our general brought up his tanks.将军下令调来坦克,以对付敌人的这一行动。
We received hundreds of replies to each question.对每个问题,我们都收到了数百个答案。
I had only about a dozen replies to my request for information.我征求信息,但只收到十几份回复。

reply, answer
参见answer条。

［同义词］ v.  acknowledge, answer, counter, rejoin, respond, return n.  answer, reaction, response, return
［词源］  ＜中古英语replyen＜古法语replier＜拉丁语replicare(回答)