rebound

[verb ri-bound, ree-bound; noun ree-bound, ri-bound]

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verb (used without object)

to bound or spring back from force of impact.

to recover, as from ill health or discouragement.

Basketball. to gain hold of rebounds: a forward who rebounds well off the offensive board.

verb (used with object)

to cause to bound back; cast back.

Basketball. to gain hold of (a rebound): The guard rebounded the ball in backcourt.

noun

the act of rebounding; recoil.

Basketball.

a ball that bounces off the backboard or the rim of the basket.
an instance of gaining hold of such a ball.

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

Idioms

on the rebound,

after bouncing off the ground, a wall, etc.: He hit the ball on the rebound.
after being rejected by another: She didn't really love him; she married him on the rebound.

Origin of rebound

1300–50; Middle English (v.) < Middle French rebondir, equivalent to Old French re- re- + bondir to bound²

Can be confusedrebound redound resound

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for rebound

overcome, revive, return, rejuvenate, recuperate, boomerang, recoil, backfire, convalesce, mend, rally, heal

Examples from the Web for rebound

Contemporary Examples of rebound

And maybe—just maybe—voter enthusiasm will rebound as a result.
Time is Money: How to Fix Outrageous Political Spending
Jim Arkedis
November 3, 2014
More and more Americans have jobs since the economy started to rebound.
The U.S. Is Losing a Generation to Poverty
Monica Potts
September 18, 2014
Yet, even when rebound sex can add in the short-term to the heartbreak, it may actually have long-term benefits.
People Who Have Had Rebound Sex Tell Us Why It Is Awesome
Emily Shire
January 31, 2014
A new study confirms that rebound sex is real (of course), but suggests it may delay a post-breakup recovery.
People Who Have Had Rebound Sex Tell Us Why It Is Awesome
Emily Shire
January 31, 2014
Rebound sex can be more about distracting your heart than entertaining your body.
People Who Have Had Rebound Sex Tell Us Why It Is Awesome
Emily Shire
January 31, 2014

Historical Examples of rebound

It had been rebound in yellow calf, and was in a good condition.
The Dream
Emile Zola
He swept me off my feet, and made me think my heart was caught in the rebound.
It Happened in Egypt
C. N. Williamson
He is ready only on reflection: dangerous only at the rebound.
Shelley, Godwin and Their Circle
H. N. Brailsford
It seemed as though all in an instant his heart went back to her in the rebound.
Pretty Madcap Dorothy
Laura Jean Libbey
Granice faltered, feeling the rebound of the other's wonder.
The Early Short Fiction of Edith Wharton, Part 1 (of 10)
Edith Wharton

British Dictionary definitions for rebound

rebound

verb (rɪˈbaʊnd) (intr)

to spring back, as from a sudden impact

to misfire, esp so as to hurt the perpetratorthe plan rebounded

noun (ˈriːbaʊnd)

the act or an instance of rebounding

on the rebound

in the act of springing back
informalin a state of recovering from rejection, disappointment, etche married her on the rebound from an unhappy love affair

Word Origin for rebound

C14: from Old French rebondir, from re- + bondir to bound ²

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

Word Origin and History for rebound

late 14c., "to spring, leap," also "return to afflict" (early 15c.), from Old French rebondir "leap back, resound; repulse, push back," from re- "back" (see re-) + bondir "leap, bound" (see bound (v.)). Sense of "to spring back from force of impact" is recorded from late 14c. Sports use probably first in tennis; basketball sense is attested from 1914. Related: Rebounded; rebounding.

1520s, in reference to a ball, from rebound (v.). Sense in basketball from 1920 (from 1917 in ice hockey). Meaning "period of reaction or renewed activity after disturbance" is from 1570s.

Idioms and Phrases with rebound

rebound

see on the rebound.