bounce

American  

[bouns] / baʊns /

verb (used without object)

• bounces,
  present (3rd person singular)
• bounced,
  past participle,  past
• bouncing
  present participle

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.

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verb (used with object)

• bounces,
  present (3rd person singular)
• bounced,
  past participle,  past
• bouncing
  present participle

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

• bounces
  plural

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. bounce back to recover quickly.

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

bounce British  

/ 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

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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. Australian rules football the start of play at the beginning of each quarter or after a goal

8. informal to dismiss or be dismissed from a job

9. informal in succession; one after the other

   they have lost nine games on the bounce

bounce Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing bounce

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• rebounce
  verb
• bounceable
  adjective
• bounceably
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• bounces
  plural

Participles

• bouncing
  present
• bounced
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• bounce
  simple
• bounces
  simple
• have bounced
  perfect
• has bounced
  perfect
• am bouncing
  progressive
• are bouncing
  progressive
• is bouncing
  progressive
• have been bouncing
  perfect progressive
• has been bouncing
  perfect progressive

Past

• bounced
  simple
• had bounced
  perfect
• was bouncing
  progressive
• were bouncing
  progressive
• had been bouncing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will bounce
  simple
• will have bounced
  perfect
• will be bouncing
  progressive
• will have been bouncing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of bounce

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

Explanation

Bounce is a word for an up and down movement or recovery — like a ball's bounce on the pavement or the stock market's rise after a crash. Bounce can be a noun or a verb. A basketball player bounces a ball on the floor and it springs back into her hand. Trampolines have a lot of bounce in them; that's why they are fun to jump on. Good dance music makes you want to bounce up and down. The phrase “bounce back” describes how you might recover after a bad situation. Did you slip and suffer a painful bounce on the floor? Some hot chocolate will help you "bounce back."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bounce bounces bounced bouncing

Theatergoing is only starting to boast consistent numbers again, taking six years to bounce back from its pandemic freefall.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026

The Times newspaper has reported, external allegations that Alaba attempted to wind up one of his business before settling one of two bounce back loans he had taken out.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

They are looking to bounce back from a disappointing fifth place finish in the top-flight last season.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

Burnham is enjoying a bounce, but faces tough decisions about how to manage Britain’s rising welfare costs and bolster the country’s economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Ray starts to bounce, too, the moment Dr. Martin slips from the driver’s side door.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers

Steps away, a man does the “Crank Dat” dance as a young child bounces on his shoulders in gleeful entrancement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

"She was just really funny. It's not the type of funny that's just telling jokes, it's sibling banter that just bounces off each other – we're just one upping each other, like tennis," he said.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

Fluky bounces can swing series and the winningest teams from the regular season can just as easily get swept in the first round as the wild card clubs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

The question is whether that demand bounces back once the war ends.

From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026

Connor gasps and bounces and asks, “What? What happened?”

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day

Numbers at Headingley and Old Trafford - where their teams have been completely rebranded - have dropped, while Southampton's Utilita Bowl - home of Southern Brave - bounced back from a slow start.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

Díaz bounced back by striking out Christian Yelich.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

While it has dropped 24.4% in 2026, it has bounced 14% since hitting a one-year low on July 29.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

Interviews with victims in the hospital were brief and stymied by officials who repeatedly bounced AFP journalists between different offices to seek approval.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

Pearls leaped from the hollow of her throat, bounced off her bodice, and peppered the floor.

From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck

The precious metals are bouncing back after dropping earlier this year, with investors expecting inflation to stay high as central banks keep interest rates where they are, Jefferies analysts say in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

I smiled and left the courthouse bouncing up and down as I contacted my editor in D.C. to let him know I’d commandeered a golden quote.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

With runners on the corners, Waldschmidt hit a bouncing comebacker that Dreyer snagged and threw to second before Edman quickly threw to Freddie Freeman to end the game.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026

The effect is similar to sound bouncing off a wall and producing an echo.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026

Our sled was bouncing, and I was holding on tight with both hands.

From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell

Related Words

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