Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense bounces, present participle bouncing, past tense, past participle bounced
1. verb
When an object such as a ball bounces or when you bounce it, it moves upwards from a surface or away from it immediately after hitting it.
I bounced a ball against the house. [VERB noun preposition]
My father would burst into the kitchen bouncing a football. [VERB noun]
...a falling pebble, bouncing down the eroded cliff. [VERB preposition/adverb]
They watched the dodgem cars bang and bounce. [VERB]
Bounce is also a noun.
The wheelchair tennis player is allowed two bounces of the ball.
2. uncountable noun [usually with supplement]
The bounce of a sports field is the condition of it, which determines how high a ball will bounce on it.
3. verb
If sound or light bounces off a surface or is bounced off it, it reaches the surface and is reflected back.
Your arms and legs need protection from light bouncing off glass. [V + off]
They work by bouncing microwaves off solid objects. [V n + off]
4. verb
If something bounces or if something bounces it, it swings or moves up and down.
Her long black hair bounced as she walked. [VERB]
Then I noticed the car was bouncing up and down as if someone were jumping on it. [VERB adverb]
The wind was bouncing the branches of the big oak trees. [VERB noun]
5. verb
If you bounce on a soft surface, you jump up and down on it repeatedly.
She lets us do anything, even bounce on our beds. [VERB preposition/adverb]
[Also VERB]
6. verb
If you bounce a child on your knee, you lift him or her up and down quickly and repeatedly for fun.
Patsy had picked up the baby and was bouncing him on her knee. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
7. verb
If someone bounces somewhere, they move there in an energetic way, because they are feeling happy.
Moira bounced into the office. [VERB preposition/adverb]
Synonyms: bound, spring, jump, leap More Synonyms of bounce
8. verb
If you bounce your ideas off someone, you tell them to that person, in order to find out what they think about them.
It was good to bounce ideas off another mind. [V n + off]
Let's bounce a few ideas around. [V n around]
9. verb
If someone bounces you into doing something you do not really want to do, they make you do it, usually by starting a process which cannot easily be stopped.
[British, journalism]
Attempts have been made to bounce member states into decisions. [V n into n/-ing]
10. verb
If a cheque bounces or if a bank bounces it, the bank refuses to accept it and pay out the money, because the person who wrote it does not have enough moneyin their account.
Our only complaint would be if the cheque bounced. [VERB]
His bank wrongly bounced cheques worth £75,000. [VERB noun]
11. verb [VERB]
If an email or other electronic message bounces, it is returned to the person who sent it because the address was wrong or because of a problem with one of the computers involved in sending it.
[computing]
Phrasal verbs:
See bounce back
More Synonyms of bounce
bounce in British English
(baʊns)
verb
1. (intransitive)
(of an elastic object, such as a ball) to rebound from an impact
2. (transitive)
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. (transitive) slang
to force (a person) to leave (a place or job); throw out; eject
8. (transitive) British
to hustle (a person) into believing or doing something
noun
9.
the action of rebounding from an impact
10.
a leap; jump; bound
11.
the quality of being able to rebound; springiness
12. informal
vitality; vigour; resilience
13. British
swagger or impudence
14. informal
a temporary increase or rise
15. the bounce
16. get the bounce
17. on the bounce
Word origin
C13: probably of imitative origin; compare Low German bunsen to beat, Dutch bonken to thump
bounce in American English
(baʊns)
verb transitiveWord forms: bounced or ˈbouncing
1. Archaic
to bump or thump
2.
to cause to hit against a surface so as to spring back
to bounce a ball
3. US, Slang
to put (an undesirable person) out by force
4. US, Slang
to discharge from employment
verb intransitive
5.
to spring back from a surface after striking it; rebound
6.
to move suddenly; spring; jump
to bounce out of bed
7. US, Slang
to be returned to the payee by a bank as a worthless check, because of insufficient funds in the drawer's account
noun
8.
a.
a bouncing; rebound
b.
a leap or jump
9.
capacity for bouncing
the ball has lost its bounce
10. British
impudence; bluster
11. US, Informal
a.
energy, zest, etc.
b.
the ability to regain one's spirit or optimism
Idioms:
bounce back
the bounce
Derived forms
bouncy (ˈbouncy)
adjectiveWord forms: ˈbouncier or ˈbounciest
Word origin
ME bounsen, to thump; ? akin to Du bonzen & LowG bunsen, to thump, strike
Examples of 'bounce' in a sentence
bounce
There are games coming thick and fast and you can bounce back quickly.
The Sun (2016)
They got the chance to bounce ideas off each other and learn about juggling a business with teething tantrums and potty training.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The industrial look will be huge, as will metallics which bounce light.
The Sun (2017)
They appear to be lulled into a false sense of security and save energy by ceasing to emit high frequency sounds that bounce off objects.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I keep it upbeat and give people a bit of a bounce about and loosen them up without doing anything too obvious.
The Sun (2016)
Rhinos also bounced back, but only in Nepal.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In fact, light doesn't bounce off skin.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Her hair now has bounce and body.
The Sun (2006)
You should be stepping out with as much bounce in your hair as in your step.
The Sun (2012)
The testing conditions should see him bounce back to form.
The Sun (2013)
You can get lucky bounces in rugby.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Two little dogs burst into the room and proceeded to literally bounce off the walls.
Jan Fennell FRIENDS FOR LIFE (2003)
This little pen disguises dark circles by bouncing light away from the face.
The Sun (2007)
We need to bounce back straight away.
The Sun (2006)
You go in with a concept or an idea and you bounce it around.
The Sun (2015)
Those that bounce highest are the freshest.
The Sun (2015)
United have also bounced back impressively after setbacks this season.
The Sun (2013)
If you wait you may find the spring bounce has collapsed into a summer slump.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
This means you will not be charged for bounced cheques or returned payments.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
They will be a different proposition when they bowl on a strip with more pace and bounce.
The Sun (2008)
You have to be patient and accept some bad bounces but it's a good test.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Apparently they listen to the clicks bouncing off objects, which helps them to avoid bumping into things.
The Sun (2008)
She always bounces back and there has been no sign she has gone over the top since York.
The Sun (2011)
England's leading competitors are more than willing to bounce, move and wear anything.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In other languages
bounce
British English: bounce /baʊns/ VERB
When an object such as a ball bounces or when you bounce it, it moves upwards from a surface or away from it immediately after hitting it.
I bounced a ball against the house.
American English: bounce
Arabic: يَرْتَدّ
Brazilian Portuguese: saltar
Chinese: 反弹
Croatian: odbijati se
Czech: odrazit (se)
Danish: hoppe
Dutch: stuiteren
European Spanish: botar
Finnish: pomppia
French: rebondir
German: springen
Greek: αναπηδώ
Italian: rimbalzare
Japanese: 弾む
Korean: 튀다
Norwegian: sprette
Polish: odbić się
European Portuguese: saltar
Romanian: a ricoșaa izbi
Russian: подпрыгивать
Latin American Spanish: botar
Swedish: studsa
Thai: เด้ง
Turkish: zıplamak
Ukrainian: підстрибувати
Vietnamese: nảy lên
All related terms of 'bounce'
bounce back
If you bounce back after a bad experience , you return very quickly to your previous level of success , enthusiasm , or activity .
bounce game
(esp in soccer ) a non-competitive game played as part of training
the bounce
the start of play at the beginning of each quarter or after a goal
bounce light
light that is bounced off a reflective surface onto the subject in order to achieve a softer lighting effect
double bounce
(of the ball in tennis , table tennis, etc) two bounces on the same side of the net before a return
valve bounce
A valve bounce is the bouncing of a poppet valve on its seat when it is closing .
get the bounce
to dismiss or be dismissed from a job
on the bounce
in succession ; one after the other
dead-cat bounce
a temporary recovery in prices following a substantial fall as a result of speculators buying stocks they have already sold rather than as a result of a genuine reversal of the downward trend
bounceback
the act or an instance of bouncing back, recovering , or recuperating
Chinese translation of 'bounce'
bounce
(bauns)
vi
[ball]弹(彈)起 (tánqǐ)
[hair]跳动(動) (tiàodòng)
[cheque]退回 (tuìhuí)
vt
[ball]拍 (pāi)
[cheque]拒付 (jùfù)
n(c/u)
[of ball]弹(彈)起 (tánqǐ) (次, cì)
to bounce on[bed etc]蹦跳上 (bèngtiào shàng)
to bounce up and down上下跳动(動) (shàngxià tiàodòng)
to bounce in/out etc[person]蹦跳地进(進)来(來)/出去等 (bèngtiào de jìnlái/chūqù děng)
1 (verb)
Definition
(of a ball, etc.) to rebound from an impact
The ball bounced past the right-hand post.
Synonyms
rebound
His shot rebounded from a post.
return
He failed to find accuracy when the ball returned to him.
thump
recoil
I recoiled in horror.
ricochet
spring back
resile
2 (verb)
Definition
to move or cause to move suddenly
Moira bounced into the office.
Synonyms
bound
He bounded up the steps and pushed the bell of the door.
spring
The lion roared once and sprang.
jump
stamping their boots and jumping up and down to knock the snow off
leap
The newsreels show him leaping into the air.
skip
She was skipping along the pavement.
caper
The children were capering about, shouting and laughing.
prance
The cheerleaders pranced on the far side of the pitch.
gambol
children gambolling in the fields
jounce
3 (verb)
The aim of the exercise is to bounce him into a coalition government.
Synonyms
force
They forced him to work round-the-clock.
drive
Curiosity drove me to probe into what they worked on together.
railroad (informal)
coerce
He argued that the government had coerced him into resigning.
strong-arm (informal)
dragoon
He had been dragooned into the excursion.
press-gang
4 (verb)
(slang)
He was bounced from two programmes for unbecoming conduct.
Synonyms
throw out
fire (informal)
turn out
expel
secondary school students expelled for cheating in exams
oust
The leaders have been ousted from power by nationalists.
relegate
a team about to be relegated to the second division
kick out (informal)
drive out
eject
They were forcibly ejected from the restaurant.
evict
They were evicted from their apartment.
boot out (informal)
show someone the door
Would they forgive him or show him the door?
give someone the bum's rush (slang, old-fashioned)
throw out on your ear (informal)
1 (noun)
Definition
springiness
the pace and steep bounce of the pitch
Synonyms
springiness
give
spring
Put some spring back into your old sofa.
bound
With one bound Jack was free.
rebound
resilience
the texture of the skin and the resilience of the flesh
elasticity
Daily facial exercises help to retain the skin's elasticity.
recoil
2 (noun)
Definition
vitality
(informal)
the natural bounce of youth
Synonyms
life
The town itself was full of life and character.
go (informal)
Considering her age, she still has a lot of go in her.
energy
At 65 years old, her energy is wonderful.
pep
They need something to put the pep back in their lives.
sparkle
There was little sparkle in their performance.
zip (informal)
He gave the choreography his usual class and zip.
vitality
He fell in love with her for her vitality and sense of fun.
animation
They both spoke with animation.
vigour
He lacks the vigour of a normal, healthy teenager.
He played with great vigour.
exuberance
Her burst of exuberance overwhelmed me.
dynamism
a situation that calls for dynamism and new thinking
brio
The performance was full of brio.
vivacity
She danced past, bubbling with vivacity.
liveliness
Some may enjoy the liveliness of such a restaurant.
vim
lustiness
vivaciousness
phrasal verb
See bounce back
Additional synonyms
in the sense of animation
Definition
liveliness and enthusiasm
They both spoke with animation.
Synonyms
liveliness,
life,
action,
activity,
energy,
spirit,
passion,
enthusiasm,
excitement,
pep,
sparkle,
vitality,
vigour,
zeal,
verve,
zest,
fervour,
high spirits,
dynamism,
buoyancy,
elation,
exhilaration,
welly (slang),
gaiety,
ardour (old-fashioned),
vibrancy,
brio,
zing (informal),
vivacity,
ebullience,
briskness,
airiness,
sprightliness,
pizzazz or pizazz (informal)
in the sense of brio
The performance was full of brio.
Synonyms
energy,
spirit,
enthusiasm,
dash,
pep,
zip (informal),
animation,
vigour,
verve,
zest,
panache,
gusto,
get-up-and-go (informal),
élan,
vivacity,
liveliness,
welly (slang)
in the sense of caper
Definition
to skip about light-heartedly
The children were capering about, shouting and laughing.