26984 words

bounce

14 definitions • 29 examples
1
to (cause to) move up or away after hitting a surface:

Examples:

bounce off The ball bounced off the goalpost and into the net.
figurative Television pictures from all over the world are bounced off satellites (= are sent to and returned from them).
She bounced the ball quickly.
Her bag bounced (= moved up and down) against her side as she walked.
bounce someone/something on something He bounced the baby on his knee.
The children had broken the bed by bouncing (= jumping up and down) on it.
2
to move in an energetic and enthusiastic manner:

Examples:

bounce in Tom bounced in, smiling broadly.
3
to (cause a cheque to) not be paid or accepted by a bank because there is no money in the account:

Examples:

I had to pay a penalty fee when my cheque bounced.
To my horror the bank bounced the cheque.
4
If an email that you send bounces or is bounced, it comes back to you because the address is wrong or there is a computer problem.
5
the act of bouncing, or the quality that makes something able to bounce:

Examples:

In tennis you have to hit the ball before its second bounce.
figurative This shampoo will give your hair bounce (= make it look attractively thick) and shine.
6
an improvement or change to a higher level, for example in how popular a politician or party is:

Examples:

His speech to the convention may have given him a bounce.
The city has seen a bounce in homicide.
7
to move up or away after hitting a surface, or to cause something to move this way:

Examples:

[ I ] The basketball bounced off the rim of the basket.
[ T ] She bounced the baby on her knee.
[ I ] fig. Tom bounced into the room (= walked in a happy, energetic way).
8
(of a check) to not be paid or accepted by a bank because of a lack of money in the account, or to pay with a check for which there is not enough money in the account:

Examples:

[ T ] He’s bounced checks before, but never on this account.
9
an occasion when something such as a ball moves up or away after hitting a surface:

Examples:

In tennis you must hit the ball before its second bounce.
10
the quality of being able to bounce:

Examples:

a ball that has lost its bounce
11
if a cheque bounces, or a bank bounces it, the bank refuses to pay it because there is not enough money in the account:

Examples:

Payments of $1 million were coming due, but when investors went to cash the checks, they bounced.
12
if an email that you send bounces or is bounced, it is returned to you because the address is wrong or there is a computer problem:

Examples:

Customers may be annoyed that spam defences bounce their legitimate e-mail.
The report they'd asked me to send bounced, because the email address was invalid.
13

Examples:

Analysts say that the US economy has bounced.
bounce 10%/10p/10 points The Group's shares bounced 20% yesterday as it unveiled its half-year results.
14
a sudden increase in value, price, etc.:

Examples:

Dealers took their cue from a strong bounce on Wall Street to push prices higher.
a bounce in sth Confidence is growing that we will see a bounce in consumer spending.
Today's recovery is being led by a bounce in the technology sector.
a bounce back Despite a bounce back in prices after the sales, the volume of business in stores rose in August.

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