bounce

[ bouns ]

verb (used without object)

, bounced, bounc·ing.

1. to spring back from a surface in a lively manner:

   The ball bounced off the wall.

2. to strike the ground or other surface, and rebound:

   The ball bounced once before he caught it.

3. to move or walk in a lively, exuberant, or energetic manner:

   She bounced into the room.

4. to move along in a lively manner, repeatedly striking the surface below and rebounding:

   The box bounced down the stairs.

5. to move about or enter or leave noisily or angrily (followed by around, about, out, out of, into, etc.):

   He bounced out of the room in a huff.

6. (of a check or the like) to fail to be honored by the bank against which it was drawn, due to lack of sufficient funds.

verb (used with object)

, bounced, bounc·ing.

1. to cause to bound and rebound:

   to bounce a ball; to bounce a child on one's knee; to bounce a signal off a satellite.

2. to refuse payment on (a check) because of insufficient funds:

   The bank bounced my rent check.

3. to give (a bad check) as payment:

   That's the first time anyone bounced a check on me.

4. Slang. to eject, expel, or dismiss summarily or forcibly.

noun

1. a bound or rebound:

   to catch a ball on the first bounce.

2. a sudden spring or leap:

   In one bounce he was at the door.

3. ability to rebound; resilience:

   This tennis ball has no more bounce.

4. vitality; energy; liveliness:

   There is bounce in his step. This soda water has more bounce to it.

   Synonyms: zip, vigor, pep, spirit, life, vivacity, animation

5. the fluctuation in magnitude of target echoes on a radarscope.
6. Slang. a dismissal, rejection, or expulsion:

   He's gotten the bounce from three different jobs.

adverb

1. with a bounce; suddenly.

verb phrase

1. to recover quickly:

   After losing the first game of the double-header, the team bounced back to win the second.

bounce

/ baʊns /

verb

1. intr (of an elastic object, such as a ball) to rebound from an impact
2. tr to cause (such an object) to hit a solid surface and spring back
3. to rebound or cause to rebound repeatedly
4. to move or cause to move suddenly, excitedly, or violently; spring

   she bounced up from her chair

5. slang.
   (of a bank) to send (a cheque) back or (of a cheque) to be sent back unredeemed because of lack of funds in the drawer's account
6. (of an internet service provider) to send (an email message) back or (of an email message) to be sent back to the sender, for example because the recipient's email account is full
7. slang.
   tr to force (a person) to leave (a place or job); throw out; eject
8. tr to hustle (a person) into believing or doing something

noun

1. the action of rebounding from an impact
2. a leap; jump; bound
3. the quality of being able to rebound; springiness
4. informal.
   vitality; vigour; resilience
5. swagger or impudence
6. informal.
   a temporary increase or rise
7. the bounce
   Australian rules football the start of play at the beginning of each quarter or after a goal
8. get the bounce or give the bounce informal.
   to dismiss or be dismissed from a job
9. on the bounce informal.
   in succession; one after the other

   they have lost nine games on the bounce

Other Words From

• bouncea·ble adjective
• bouncea·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of bounce¹

1175–1225; Middle English buncin, bounsen, variant of bunkin, apparently cognate with Dutch bonken to thump, belabor, bonzen to knock, bump

Word History and Origins

Origin of bounce¹

C13: probably of imitative origin; compare Low German bunsen to beat, Dutch bonken to thump

Idioms and Phrases

• get the ax (bounce)
• more bounce for the ounce
• that's how the ball bounces

Example Sentences

Two kneel-downs later, the Chiefs won as Matthew Wright’s 31-yard kick bounced off the left upright and through the goal posts.

From Los Angeles Times

The Trojans bounced back to win three of their last five, narrowly securing bowl eligibility with a last-minute win over UCLA.

From Los Angeles Times

I keep coming back to an aphorism that bounced around Russia as the number of internal émigrés grew: You may not be interested in politics, but politics is interested in you.

From Salon

On a pitch showing increasingly uneven bounce, the New Zealand chase is a Hail Mary.

From BBC

Davis had 38 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, bouncing back after a miserable game in Miami.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bound
• bump
• carom
• hop
• jump
• leap
• rebound
• ricochet