rebound
Americanverb (used without object)
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to bound or spring back from force of impact.
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to recover, as from ill health or discouragement.
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Basketball. to gain hold of rebounds.
a forward who rebounds well off the offensive board.
verb (used with object)
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to cause to bound back; cast back.
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Basketball. to gain hold of (a rebound).
The guard rebounded the ball in backcourt.
noun
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the act of rebounding; recoil.
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Basketball.
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a ball that bounces off the backboard or the rim of the basket.
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an instance of gaining hold of such a ball.
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Ice Hockey. a puck that bounces off the gear or person of a goalkeeper attempting to make a save.
idioms
verb
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to spring back, as from a sudden impact
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to misfire, esp so as to hurt the perpetrator
the plan rebounded
noun
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the act or an instance of rebounding
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in the act of springing back
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informal in a state of recovering from rejection, disappointment, etc
he married her on the rebound from an unhappy love affair
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Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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reboundsimple
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reboundssimple
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have reboundedperfect
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has reboundedperfect
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am reboundingprogressive
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are reboundingprogressive
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is reboundingprogressive
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have been reboundingperfect progressive
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has been reboundingperfect progressive
Past
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reboundedsimple
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had reboundedperfect
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was reboundingprogressive
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were reboundingprogressive
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had been reboundingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing rebound
Defense, Dribble, and Dunk: Basketball Lingo
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Power Prefix: re-
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This Feb. 29: 15 Words for "Leap"
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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.
See Examples For:
In early trading, New York futures are up 0.05% to $4,052.40 a troy ounce, leaving prices on track for a modest weekly gain after a rebound earlier this week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
“If disruptions persist for another month, the national average would likely rebound to around $4.20. If the conflict extends to two months, prices would likely move back above $4.50,” they said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Surveys released by S&P Global Friday pointed to a rebound in activity following the memorandum, although that might prove to be short-lived if hostilities continue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Despite his involvement in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal in 2017, ex-Dodgers infielder Alex Cora remains a respected manager who should rebound from the Red Sox firing him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
I made it a point to go for every rebound.
From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan
His 4.6 offensive rebounds per game in 2024-25 led the NBA.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals a game for the Lakers last season and said he was considering retirement strongly when the campaign concluded.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Only four players in the entire NBA averaged 20 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists last season—and James was one of them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds last season with the Lakers.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
I win the first battle, but Helene rebounds in the second, nearly taking my head off with the swiftness of her attack.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
The dollar has rebounded sharply since then, reaching a 13-month high in late June.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
Her senses of taste and smell have rebounded, and she gets less winded on hikes with her grandchildren.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Asian stocks mostly rebounded after days of losses on Tuesday led by technology shares, while oil prices eased slightly even as Iran said it had struck hit US military targets in Bahrain and Kuwait.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
At the other three lakes, however, the populations had rebounded even though the fungus remained present in the environment.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
It went into a corner and rebounded into a pocket.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
Hamby has led the Sparks in scoring four times and led or tied for rebounding 16 times this season after signing a three-year, $3.5-million contract.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
Shares of Micron Technology and other chip names were on the rise Monday morning, rebounding after a tough stretch last week.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
Beasley is alleged to have informed Davis that he intended to underperform with respect to rebounding in the game, prosecutors said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
The Kospi, driven by chip makers, fell 10% on Tuesday amid a global tech selloff before rebounding over the next two days.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
The pod flew out from under Ron’s fingers and hit the greenhouse glass, rebounding onto the back of Professor Sprout’s head and knocking off her old, patched hat.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
