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Synonyms

bouncer

American  
[boun-ser] / ˈbaʊn sər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that bounces.

  2. a person who is employed at a bar, nightclub, etc., to eject disorderly persons.

  3. something large of its kind.


bouncer British  
/ ˈbaʊnsə /

noun

  1. slang a person employed at a club, pub, disco, etc, to throw out drunks or troublemakers and stop those considered undesirable from entering

  2. slang a dishonoured cheque

  3. cricket another word for bumper 1

  4. a person or thing that bounces

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bouncer

First recorded in 1755–65; bounce + -er 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The host is a former bouncer for”The Jerry Springer Show.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

White-ball captain Harry Brook had to apologise after being involved in an altercation with a night-club bouncer on the eve-of-Ashes tour of New Zealand.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

Glenn walked toward another bar, where he got into an argument with a bouncer who denied him entry.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026

The ripples of Brook's night out in Wellington, when he was "clocked" by a nightclub bouncer, washed up nearly 7,000 miles away in Colombo.

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2026

Ordinarily he was too good a bouncer to hurt anyone.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck

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