Standard Lemma guide

rebound

noun · verb · 18 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ɹiˈbaʊnd/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈɹi.baʊnd/
  • rhymes with -aʊnd
  • rhymes with -iːbaʊnd
  • General-American: /ɹiˈbaʊnd/
  • /ˈɹiː.baʊnd/
  • CMU ARPABET: R IY0 B AW1 N D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The recoil of an object bouncing off another.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A return to health or well-being; a recovery.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I am on the rebound.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An effort to recover from a setback.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The period of getting over a recently ended romantic relationship.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: colloquial

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: colloquial

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

The strike of the ball after it has bounced off a defending player or the crossbar or goalpost.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: ball-games, basketball, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To bound or spring back from a force.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To give back an echo.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To jump up or get back up again.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To send back; to reverberate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To catch the ball after it has hit the rim or backboard without scoring a basket for the other team.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: ball-games, basketball, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

simple past and past participle of rebind

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, participle, past

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

noun

Meaning 14

the act of securing possession of the rebounding basketball after a missed shot

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: catch, grab, snatch, snap

15

noun

Meaning 15

a reaction to a crisis or setback or frustration

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he is still on the rebound from his wife's death

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: reaction, response

16

noun

Meaning 16

a movement back from an impact

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: recoil, repercussion, backlash

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: movement, motion

Narrower terms: bounce, bouncing, resilience, resiliency, ricochet, carom

17

verb

Meaning 17

return to a former condition

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The jilted lover soon rallied and found new friends
  • The stock market rallied

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rally

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: recover, go back, recuperate

18

verb

Meaning 18

spring back; spring away from an impact

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The rubber ball bounced
  • These particles do not resile but they unite after they collide

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bounce, resile, take a hop, spring, bound, recoil, reverberate, ricochet

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: jump, leap, bound, spring

Narrower terms: kick back, recoil, kick, skip, bound off, carom

History

Etymology

From Old French rebondir.

see rebind

Across languages

Translations

69 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: отскок (otskok) — recoil of an object bouncing off another
  • Bulgarian: рикошет (rikošet) — recoil of an object bouncing off another
  • Danish: tilbagestuds — recoil of an object bouncing off another
  • Finnish: kimpoaminen — recoil of an object bouncing off another
  • Finnish: pomppaaminen — recoil of an object bouncing off another
  • Finnish: pomppu — recoil of an object bouncing off another
  • French: rebond — recoil of an object bouncing off another
  • German: Rückprall — recoil of an object bouncing off another
  • Irish: athléim — recoil of an object bouncing off another
  • Irish: athphreab — recoil of an object bouncing off another
  • Portuguese: rebote — recoil of an object bouncing off another
  • Portuguese: rebatida — recoil of an object bouncing off another
  • Spanish: rebote — recoil of an object bouncing off another
  • Welsh: adlam — recoil of an object bouncing off another
  • Bulgarian: възстановяване (vǎzstanovjavane) — return to health
  • Finnish: toipuminen — return to health
  • French: guérison — return to health
  • German: Rebound — return to health
  • Spanish: recuperación — return to health
  • Spanish: restablecimiento — return to health
  • Spanish: reestablecimiento — return to health
  • Finnish: toipuminen — effort to recover from a setback
  • French: rétablissement — effort to recover from a setback
  • Finnish: lohdutuspalkinto — romantic partner, for the sake of recovery
  • Polish: partner na odzyskanie poczucie siebie — romantic partner, for the sake of recovery
  • Bulgarian: отскок (otskok) — the strike of the ball
  • Catalan: rebot — the strike of the ball
  • Finnish: paluupallo — the strike of the ball
  • Finnish: paluukiekko — the strike of the ball
  • Portuguese: rebote — the strike of the ball
  • Spanish: rebote — the strike of the ball
  • Swedish: retur — the strike of the ball
  • Catalan: rebot — in basketball
  • Chinese Mandarin: 籃板球 /篮板球 (lánbǎnqiú) — in basketball
  • Finnish: levypallo — in basketball
  • German: Rebound — in basketball
  • Greek: ριμπάουντ (rimpáount) — in basketball
  • Japanese: リバウンド (ribaundo) — in basketball
  • Korean: 리바운드 (ribaundeu) — in basketball
  • Spanish: rebote — in basketball
  • Swedish: retur — in basketball
  • Bulgarian: отразявам се (otrazjavam se) — to bound or spring back from a force
  • Bulgarian: отскачам (otskačam) — to bound or spring back from a force
  • Bulgarian: рикоширам (rikoširam) — to bound or spring back from a force
  • Catalan: rebotre — to bound or spring back from a force
  • Danish: studse — to bound or spring back from a force
  • Esperanto: resalti — to bound or spring back from a force
  • Finnish: kimmota — to bound or spring back from a force
  • French: rebondir — to bound or spring back from a force
  • German: zurückprallen — to bound or spring back from a force
  • Irish: athléim — to bound or spring back from a force
  • Irish: athphreab — to bound or spring back from a force
  • Italian: rimbalzare — to bound or spring back from a force
  • Māori: tāwhana — to bound or spring back from a force
  • Māori: turapa — to bound or spring back from a force
  • Middle English: spryngen — to bound or spring back from a force
  • Portuguese: rebater — to bound or spring back from a force
  • Russian: отскакивать (otskakivatʹ) — to bound or spring back from a force
  • Spanish: rebotar — to bound or spring back from a force
  • Spanish: repercutir — to bound or spring back from a force
  • Spanish: resurtir — to bound or spring back from a force
  • Spanish: recudir — to bound or spring back from a force
  • Tagalog: tumalbog — to bound or spring back from a force
  • Walloon: ridjibler — to bound or spring back from a force
  • Finnish: ponnahtaa — to jump up or get back up again
  • French: rebondir — to jump up or get back up again
  • Spanish: repuntar — to jump up or get back up again
  • Tagalog: tumalbog — to jump up or get back up again
  • Walloon: rispiter — to jump up or get back up again
Real reading context

rebound in complete knowledge articles