'come-back' originates from Old English elements: 'cuman' (the ancestor of modern 'come') and 'bæc' (the ancestor of modern 'back'), combined as a phrasal construction meaning 'come back' (to return). The noun sense 'comeback' developed later from the verb phrase.

'come' comes from Old English 'cuman' and 'back' from Old English 'bæc'; the phrasal verb 'come back' existed in Middle and Early Modern English as a literal return. The noun form (often written as 'comeback' or hyphenated 'come-back') arose later to denote a return to former status or a sharp reply, and became common in modern English as a single lexical item.

Initially, the phrase meant simply 'to return' (a physical or temporal return). Over time it broadened: as a noun it came to mean both 'a return to success/popularity' and 'a quick retort'; these figurative senses are common in contemporary usage.