Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense boomerangs, present participle boomeranging, past tense, past participle boomeranged
1. countable noun
A boomerang is a curved piece of wood which comes back to you if you throw it in the correct way. Boomerangs were first used by the people who were living in Australia when Europeans arrived there.
2. verb
If a plan boomerangs, its result is not the one that was intended and is harmful to the person who made the plan.
The trick boomeranged, though. [VERB]
Criticism can sometimes boomerang against the accusers. [V + on/against]
Synonyms: rebound, backfire, come home to roost More Synonyms of boomerang
boomerang in British English
(ˈbuːməˌræŋ)
noun
1.
a curved flat wooden missile of native Australians, which can be made to return to the thrower
2.
an action or statement that recoils on its originator
verb
3. (intransitive)
to recoil or return unexpectedly, causing harm to its originator; backfire
Word origin
C19: from a native Australian language
boomerang in American English
(ˈbumərˌæŋ)
noun
1.
a flat, curved stick that can be thrown so that it will return to a point near the thrower: it is used as a weapon by Australian Aborigines
2.
something that goes contrary to expectations and results in disadvantage or harm to the person doing or saying it
verb intransitive
3.
to act as a boomerang; result in harm to the originator
Word origin
< Austral native name
Examples of 'boomerang' in a sentence
boomerang
Today's the big day your boomerang comes back," Danish Erika said.
Davis, John Gordon SEIZE THE RECKLESS WIND (2003)
Short flinched empathetically as his chief took the full force of the boomerang.
Moore, Margaret FORESTS OF THE NIGHT (2003)
(verb)
Definition
(of a plan) to recoil unexpectedly, harming its originator
The trick boomeranged, though.
Synonyms
rebound
Mia realised her trick had rebounded on her.
backfire
The President's tactics could backfire.
come home to roost
Additional synonyms
in the sense of backfire
Definition
(of a plan or scheme) to fail to have the desired effect