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   bounce

   /baʊns/

   verb

   • 1. (with reference to an object, especially a ball) move quickly up, back, or away from a surface after hitting it: "the ball bounced away and he chased it" Similar reboundspring backbobrecoilricochetjouncecaromrare:resile
   • ▪ (of light, sound, or an electronic signal) come into contact with an object or surface and be reflected back: "short sound waves bounce off even small objects"
   • ▪ (of an email) be returned to its sender after failing to reach its destination: "I tried to email him, but the message bounced"
   • ▪ recover well after a setback or problem: "the savings rate has already started to bounce back and is sure to rise further"
   • ▪ come into sudden forceful contact with; collide with: West Indian "people cross the road as slowly as possible, as if daring the cars to bounce them"
   • 2. jump repeatedly up and down, typically on something springy: "Emma was happily bouncing up and down on the mattress" Similar boundleapjumpspringbobhopskiptripgamboldanceprancerompcapercavortfriskfrolicsport
   • ▪ move up and down repeatedly: "the gangplank bounced under his confident step"
   • ▪ cause (a child) to move lightly up and down on one's knee as a game: "I remember how you used to bounce me on your knee"
   • ▪ (of a vehicle) move jerkily along a bumpy surface: "the car bounced down the narrow track"
   • ▪ move in a particular direction in an energetic, happy, or enthusiastic manner: "Linda bounced in through the open front door" Similar boundleapjumpspringbobhopskiptripgamboldanceprancerompcapercavortfriskfrolicsport
   • 3. (of a cheque) be returned by a bank to the payee when there are not enough funds in the drawer's account to meet it: informal "a further two cheques of £160 also bounced"
   • ▪ (of a bank) return a cheque to the payee when there are not enough funds in the drawer's account to meet it: "the bank bounced the cheque"
   • 4. eject (a troublemaker) forcibly from a nightclub or similar establishment. informal
   • ▪ dismiss (someone) from a job: North American "those who put in a dismal performance will be bounced from the tour"
   • 5. pressurize (someone) into doing something, typically by presenting them with a fait accompli: informal British "the government should beware being bounced into any ill-considered foreign gamble"

   noun

   • 1. a rebound of a ball or other object: "the wicket was causing the occasional erratic bounce" Similar springinessspringresilienceelasticitygivereboundrecoil
   • ▪ the ability of a surface to make a ball rebound in a specified way: "a pitch of low bounce" Similar springinessspringresilienceelasticitygivereboundrecoil
   • ▪ a collision. West Indian
   • 2. an act of jumping or of moving up and down jerkily: "every bounce of the truck brought them into fresh contact" Similar reboundreflectionricochet
   • ▪ a sudden rise in the level of something: "economists agree that there could be a bounce in prices next year"
   • ▪ exuberant self-confidence: "the bounce was now back in Jenny's step" Similar vitalityvigourenergyvivacitylivelinesslifeanimationsparkleeffervescenceexuberancevervespiritednessspiritenthusiasmdynamismfireardourzealpushdrivecheerfulnesscheerinesshappinessjoybuoyancyoptimismhigh spiritslight-heartednessmerrimentjollityebullienceinformal:goget-up-and-gopepoomphpizzazzzingzipfizzfeistiness
   • ▪ health and body in a person's hair: "use conditioner to help hair regain its bounce"

   Word Origin Middle Englishbunsen ‘beat, thump’, perhaps imitative, or from Low German bunsen ‘beat’, Dutch bons ‘a thump’.

   Scrabble Points: 10

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