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⇱ bounce - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

bounce

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈbaʊns/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/baʊns/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(bouns)

Inflections of 'bounce' (v): (⇒ conjugate)
bounces
v 3rd person singular
bouncing
v pres p
bounced
v past
bounced
v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
bounce /baʊns/USA pronunciation   v., bounced, bounc•ing, n. 
v. 
  1. to (cause to) strike a surface and rebound: [no object]The box bounced down the stairs.[~ + off + object]The ball bounced off the wall and I caught it.[~ + object]He bounced the ball, took aim, and shot.
  2. to move or walk in a lively manner:[no object]She bounced out of the room, overjoyed that we would be getting a dog.
  3. Business (of a check) to be refused payment by a bank because there is not enough money in one's account:[no object][Your last check bounced and we won't accept another.]
  4. Business to refuse or be unable to pay money on (a check) because there is not enough money in one's account:[~ + object]He's bounced a few checks.
  5. Slang Termsto eject, expel, or dismiss (someone) quickly or with force:[~ + object]They bounced him from the club for making trouble.
  6. bounce back, [no object] to recover quickly:She was pretty ill with the flu, but she bounced back nicely.

n. 
  1. a bound or rebound:[countable]He caught the ball and threw it on two bounces to second base.
  2. ability to rebound:[uncountable]This ball has more bounce when it is inflated properly.
  3. vitality;
    energy;
    liveliness:[uncountable]a bounce in his step after the good news.
  4. Slang Terms the bounce, [uncountable]a dismissal, rejection, or expulsion.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
bounce  (bouns),USA pronunciation v., bounced, bounc•ing, n., adv. 
v.i. 
  1. to spring back from a surface in a lively manner:The ball bounced off the wall.
  2. to strike the ground or other surface, and rebound:The ball bounced once before he caught it.
  3. to move or walk in a lively, exuberant, or energetic manner:She bounced into the room.
  4. to move along in a lively manner, repeatedly striking the surface below and rebounding:The box bounced down the stairs.
  5. to move about or enter or leave noisily or angrily (fol. by around, about, out, out of, into, etc.):He bounced out of the room in a huff.
  6. (of a check or the like) to fail to be honored by the bank against which it was drawn, due to lack of sufficient funds.

v.t. 
  1. to cause to bound and rebound:to bounce a ball;to bounce a child on one's knee;to bounce a signal off a satellite.
  2. to refuse payment on (a check) because of insufficient funds:The bank bounced my rent check.
  3. to give (a bad check) as payment:That's the first time anyone bounced a check on me.
  4. [Slang.]to eject, expel, or dismiss summarily or forcibly.
  5. bounce back, to recover quickly:After losing the first game of the double-header, the team bounced back to win the second.

n. 
  1. a bound or rebound:to catch a ball on the first bounce.
  2. a sudden spring or leap:In one bounce he was at the door.
  3. ability to rebound;
    resilience:This tennis ball has no more bounce.
  4. vitality;
    energy;
    liveliness:There is bounce in his step. This soda water has more bounce to it.
  5. the fluctuation in magnitude of target echoes on a radarscope.
  6. [Slang.]a dismissal, rejection, or expulsion:He's gotten the bounce from three different jobs.

adv. 
  1. with a bounce;
    suddenly.
  • Middle English buncin, bounsen, variant of bunkin, apparently cognate with Dutch bonken to thump, belabor, bonzen to knock, bump 1175–1225
bounce′a•ble, adj. 
bounce′a•bly, adv. 
    15. animation, vivacity, life, spirit, pep, vigor, zip.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
bounce /baʊns/ vb
  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
  5. informal (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. (transitive) slang to force (a person) to leave (a place or job); throw out; eject
 n
  1. a leap; jump; bound
  2. the quality of being able to rebound; springiness
  3. informal vitality; vigour; resilience
  4. Brit swagger or impudence
Etymology: 13th Century: probably of imitative origin; compare Low German bunsen to beat, Dutch bonken to thump
'bounce' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Collocations: bounce [up and down, around], the ball bounced, [it] bounced off [the wall, his face, the car], more...

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