bounce

BOWNS/baʊns/

Noun pluralbounces

40 meanings of bounce

1
verbintransitive
To move quickly up and down, one or more times.
Like a yo-yo moving up and down again and again.
The children bounce on the trampoline every afternoon.
She felt the car bounce as it rolled over the speed bumps.
Similarbob
2
verbintransitive
To hit something and then move off in a different direction.
Like a marble that hits the side of a box and shoots back out.
Light rays bounce when they strike a mirror.
The ball bounced off the wall and rolled under the couch.
Similarrebound
Note
3
verbtransitive
To make something move quickly up and down, or side to side.
Like pushing a ball down so it jumps back up, over and over.
Parents often bounce their toddlers to calm them down.
She bounced the baby gently on her knee.
Similarjiggle, shake
4
nouncountable or uncountable
A quick up-and-down movement.
Like the springy feeling you get jumping on a soft bed.
The trampoline gave the kids plenty of bounce.
There was lots of bounce in her step as she walked in.
Similarbob, bobbing, bouncing
5
nouncountable or uncountable
The way a ball comes off the ground or a wall in a new direction.
Like how a stone skips differently across smooth water than across rough water.
The clay court gave the ball slower bounce than expected.
On frozen ground the ball loses most of its bounce.
Similarrebound
6
verbintransitive
To jump up suddenly or move with quick, springy steps.
Like a rubber ball springing up the moment it touches the floor.
Kids bounce into the room the second school lets out.
She bounced out of bed, eager to start the trip.
Similarbound, spring, leap, jump, skip
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7
verbcolloquialtransitive
To share an idea with someone so they can tell you what they think.
Like testing an idea by tossing it to a friend and listening to their reply.
I want to bounce a few ideas off you before the meeting.
She bounced the plan off her mentor to see if it made sense.
Similarfloat, pitch, run, try
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8
verbcolloquialintransitive
Of a check, to be sent back by the bank because there is not enough money in the account.
Like a ball thrown at a wall that comes straight back instead of passing through.
Payments sometimes bounce when accounts run low.
His rent check bounced because his paycheck arrived late.
Similarfail
Oppositeclear
Note
9
verbcolloquialtransitive
To write a check that the bank will not pay because your account is short of money.
Like promising money you don't actually have in your pocket.
Customers who bounce checks face extra bank fees.
He bounced a check at the grocery store last week.
10
verbslangintransitive
To leave a place, often quickly.
Like quietly slipping out the door before a party ends.
I'm tired, so I'm going to bounce.
They bounced as soon as the music stopped.
Similarleave, split, bail, go (entry)
Oppositestay
Note

11
verbtransitive or intransitive
Of an email or message, to come back to the sender because it could not be delivered.
Like a letter the mail carrier brings back because no one lives there anymore.
Emails sometimes bounce when the inbox is full.
The message bounced because the address no longer exists.
Similarreturn, fail
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12
nouncountable or uncountable
Email that comes back to you because it could not be delivered.
Like mail returned to you stamped 'no such address.'
The marketing email generated a lot of bounce from outdated addresses.
IT staff noticed unusual bounce in the mail reports this morning.
13
nouncolloquialcountable or uncountable
A rise in how popular someone or something is, usually for a short time.
Like a kite that rises for a while when the wind picks up.
The new policy gave the mayor a noticeable bounce in the polls.
Support for the party showed little bounce despite the rally.
Similarboost, lift, bump, surge, rise
Oppositedip, slump, drop
Note
14
verbtransitive
To turn a device off and then on again to fix a problem.
Like turning a light off and on again to get it working.
Try to bounce the router if the internet stops working.
The technician bounced the server after the update failed.
Similarreboot, restart, reset, cycle
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15
verbintransitive
To move quickly from one thing to another and back again.
Like a bee flying quickly from one flower to the next.
Freelancers bounce between several clients in a single week.
Her attention bounced between the chart and the speaker.
Similaralternate, oscillate, swing, shuttle, seesaw
16
verbintransitive
To hit the ground hard while landing and lift up into the air again.
Like a basketball that hits the floor and jumps back up.
The small plane bounced twice before settling onto the runway.
If you land too fast, the aircraft can bounce back into the air.
Note
17
verbtransitive
To mix several recorded tracks together and save them as one track, so you have room for more.
Like pouring several small cups into one big cup so your hands are free for more.
The producer bounced the drums and bass to one track.
We need to bounce these vocals before adding the guitars.
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18
verbtransitive
To save two or more tracks onto a computer so you can play them back and add more music later.
Like saving your work on a computer so you can open it again and keep building.
She bounced the mix to her laptop before the next session.
Let's bounce these tracks to the computer and keep working tomorrow.
Similarrender, export
Note
19
verbtransitive
To attack someone suddenly, when they do not expect it.
Like jumping out from behind a door to surprise someone.
Two fighters bounced the enemy bombers from above.
They planned to bounce the patrol before it reached the base.
Similarambush, jump, surprise
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20
verbdatedUStransitive
To throw someone out of a place, or to fire someone from a job, in a rough way.
Like a teacher sending a noisy student out of the classroom.
The guard bounced the troublemaker out the back door.
Nobody took umbrage and bounced me out of the Union for being a pro.
1946, YachtingHere, bounced means threw someone out roughly.
Similareject, expel, fire, sack, dismiss
Oppositeadmit, hire
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21
nounslangcountable or uncountable
Being fired or made to leave a job.
Like being told to leave a game and not come back.
After months of lateness, he finally got the bounce.
She was worried the bounce was coming after the company merged.
Similarsack, boot, axe, chop, push
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22
verbslangintransitive
To have sex.
The two of them had been bouncing all weekend.
He bragged that they would bounce after the party.
Similarcopulate, mate, bang, bonk, hump
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23
noununcountable
A kind of hip-hop music from New Orleans with call-and-response chants.
She grew up dancing to bounce at block parties in New Orleans.
The DJ played bounce until well past midnight.
24
nounslanguncountable
A confident, stylish way of carrying yourself.
Like the proud way a cat struts around as if it owns the place.
He walked into the room with real bounce.
Her bounce made everyone notice her at the party.
Similarswagger, swag, flair, confidence, panache
25
nounslanguncountable
A natural ability to jump high.
Like a spring that pushes you high into the air.
That rookie has serious bounce.
You need real bounce to dunk like that.
Similarhops, spring, ups
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26
nounslanguncountable
A strong, catchy beat in music.
Like the steady thump that makes your feet move on their own.
This track has real bounce.
The song needs more bounce to get people dancing.
Similargroove, beat, swing
Note
27
nouncountable or uncountable
A possible event where a shrinking universe reaches huge density and then springs back into growing again.
Like a ball that falls, hits the ground, and springs straight back up.
Some scientists think a bounce could explain what came before the Big Bang.
In this model, the universe ends in a bounce instead of a crunch.
Note
28
nouncountable or uncountable
A jump made of two fences set so close that a horse cannot take a stride between them.
Like hopping over two lines drawn so close you can't fit a step between them.
The young horse cleared the bounce without a fault.
Riders practice the bounce to teach horses quick footwork.
Note
29
verbintransitive
To hit the ground so hard while falling that you are killed.
If both chutes fail, a jumper can bounce.
He nearly bounced when his main canopy failed to open.
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30
nounslanguncountable
Illegal street drugs.
The dealer kept the bounce hidden under the floorboards.
They got busted with a stash of bounce in the trunk.
Similardope, drug, gear, stuff, substance
31
verbarchaic
To frighten someone with threats or shout at them.
Would I had him here again, I would so bounce him , I would so thank his lordship for his lewd plot.
1621, John Fletcher, “The Wild-Goose Chase; a Comedy”
32
verbarchaic
To talk loudly about how great you are.
33
verbarchaic
To hit something like a door hard so it makes a loud noise.
Another bounces as hard as he can knock.
1708, Squire Bickerstaff Detected, John Partridge
34
verbslang
Of a horse, to run badly after running very well last time.
35
nounarchaic
A loud sudden noise, like something exploding.
I don't value her resentment the bounce of a cracker.
1773, Oliver Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer
36
nounarchaic
Sweet alcohol made by keeping fruit in brandy for a while.
A prologue of cherry bounce,—brandy,—preceded the entertainment, which was enlivened by hob-nobs and joyous toasts.
1870, “Irish Life”, in The Saint Pauls Magazine
37
nounarchaic
A hard, sudden hit that often makes a loud sound.
The bounce burst ope the door.
1685, John Dryden, The Despairing Lover
38
nounarchaic
Loud bragging, or a lie told with great confidence.
And, in fact, the whole story is a bounce of his own. For, in a most abusive letter which he wrote “to a learned person,” (meaning Wallis the mathematician,) he gives quite another account of the matter
1827, Thomas De Quincey, On Murder Considered as one of the Fine Arts
39
noun
A small spotted shark found in the seas around Europe.
40
nounslang
When a horse runs badly after running very well last time.

Practice

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Origin

From Middle English bounsen, meaning 'to beat or thump.' Its exact origin is not known; it may just imitate a sound.