rebound

American  

[ri-bound, ree-bound, ree-bound, ri-bound] / rɪˈbaʊnd, ˈriˈbaʊnd, ˈriˌbaʊnd, rɪˈbaʊnd /

verb (used without object)

rebounds, present (3rd person singular) rebounded, past participle, past rebounding present participle

1. to bound or spring back from force of impact.

2. to recover, as from ill health or discouragement.

3. Basketball. to gain hold of rebounds.

   a forward who rebounds well off the offensive board.

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verb (used with object)

rebounds, present (3rd person singular) rebounded, past participle, past rebounding present participle

1. to cause to bound back; cast back.

2. Basketball. to gain hold of (a rebound).

   The guard rebounded the ball in backcourt.

noun

1. the act of rebounding; recoil.

2. Basketball.

   1. a ball that bounces off the backboard or the rim of the basket.

   2. an instance of gaining hold of such a ball.

3. Ice Hockey. a puck that bounces off the gear or person of a goalkeeper attempting to make a save.

idioms

1. on the rebound,

   1. after bouncing off the ground, a wall, etc..

      He hit the ball on the rebound.

   2. after being rejected by another.

      She didn't really love him; she married him on the rebound.

rebound British  

verb

1. to spring back, as from a sudden impact

2. to misfire, esp so as to hurt the perpetrator

   the plan rebounded

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noun

1. the act or an instance of rebounding

2. 1. in the act of springing back

   2. informal in a state of recovering from rejection, disappointment, etc

      he married her on the rebound from an unhappy love affair

rebound More Idioms  

1. see on the rebound.

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Other Word Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have rebounded
  perfect
• has rebounded
  perfect 3rd person singular
• has been rebounding
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• is rebounding
  progressive 3rd person singular
• have been rebounding
  perfect progressive
• are rebounding
  progressive
• am rebounding
  progressive 1st person singular
• rebounding
  participle
• rebounds
  singular 3rd person

Past

• had rebounded
  perfect
• were rebounding
  progressive plural
• had been rebounding
  perfect progressive
• rebounded
  participle
• was rebounding
  progressive singular
• rebounded
  simple

Future

• will rebound
  simple
• will have rebounded
  perfect
• will have been rebounding
  perfect progressive
• will be rebounding
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of rebound

1300–50; Middle English (v.) < Middle French rebondir, equivalent to Old French re- re- + bondir to bound ²

Explanation

To rebound is to come back from a slump. You might rebound from an illness, or your country might rebound from an economic recession. Like many words that start with the prefix re, rebound involves something happening again. In this case, to rebound is to bounce back to a previous state or condition. When you start to feel happy again after your heart gets broken, you rebound. If the stock market crashes and then returns to a healthy level, it rebounds.

Example Sentences

The nascent rebound in tech stocks ended in a lurching drop on Tuesday, with the Nasdaq composite losing about 1% in its largest blown gain since early January.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

On the equities side, a tech-fueled rebound in stocks loses steam, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq falling more than 2%.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

The question for the market now is whether the rebound has legs.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

A stock-market rally on Monday helped reassure some investors that a sharp slide late last week was just the latest buy-the-dip opportunity that will deliver yet another V-shaped rebound.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026

“I mean, I’m going too, of course,” she said, grabbing her own rebound and holding on to it.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Related Words

• overcome
• pick up
• revive