What does "rebound" mean?
The recoil of an object bouncing off another.
Rebound
/ɹiˈbaʊnd/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The recoil of an object bouncing off another.
- Grammar: rebound is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: recoil, adaptability, backfire, backfired.
- Useful contrasts: absorb, improvement, loss of possession.
- Usage evidence: Happiness, I have discovered, is nearly always a rebound from hard work.
How to use "rebound"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "rebound" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "rebound" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "rebound" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "rebound" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "rebound" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "recoil" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "rebound", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The recoil of an object bouncing off another.
- 2 the act of securing possession of the rebounding basketball after a missed shot wordnet
- 3 A return to health or well-being; a recovery.
"I am on the rebound."
- 4 a reaction to a crisis or setback or frustration wordnet
- 5 An effort to recover from a setback.
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 a movement back from an impact wordnet
- 7 The period of getting over a recently ended romantic relationship. colloquial
""I get it. Girl caught him on the rebound when he was vulnerable.""
- 8 A romantic partner with whom one begins a relationship (or the relationship one begins) for the sake of getting over a previous, recently ended romantic relationship. colloquial
"What if she was a rebound after all and he didn't feel the same way for her anymore?"
- 9 The strike of the ball after it has bounced off a defending player or the crossbar or goalpost.
"The inevitable Baggies onslaught followed as substitute Simon Cox saw his strike excellently parried by keeper Bunn, with Cox heading the rebound down into the ground and agonisingly over the bar."
- 10 An instance of catching the ball after it has hit the rim or backboard without a basket being scored, generally credited to a particular player.
Verb
- 1 To bound or spring back from a force.
"Bodies which are absolutely hard, or so soft as to be void of elasticity, will not rebound from one another."
- 2 simple past and past participle of rebind form-of, participle, past
- 3 return to a former condition wordnet
- 4 To give back an echo.
"each cave and echoing rock rebounds"
- 5 spring back; spring away from an impact wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 To jump up or get back up again. figuratively
"“Even after this utter devastation, most people in the Greenwood community, most African Americans in Tulsa said to themselves and to their larger community, ‘we shall not be moved.’ And they rebounded and rebuilt and created an incarnation of Black Wall Street that would surpass its initial version.”"
- 7 To send back; to reverberate. transitive
"Silenus sung; the vales his voice rebound, / And carry to the skies the sacred sound."
- 8 To catch the ball after it has hit the rim or backboard without scoring a basket for the other team.
"By the mid-19605, the top small forwards in the game were Rick Barry and Iohn Havlicek, both of whom excelled as defenders and passers, rebounded well, and provided their respective teams with exceptional scoring."
Antonyms
Example
"Happiness, I have discovered, is nearly always a rebound from hard work."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "rebound"?
Common synonyms include: recoil, adaptability, backfire, backfired, backfires, backfiring.
How do you use "rebound" in a sentence?
Happiness, I have discovered, is nearly always a rebound from hard work.
How do you pronounce "rebound"?
Pronounced /ɹiˈbaʊnd/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Old French rebondir.
Etymology 2
see rebind