Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

bounce

/baʊns/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about bounce at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The quality of a substance that is able to rebound.
A light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards.
Rebounding from an impact (or series of impacts).

verb

Spring back; spring away from an impact.
The rubber ball bounced
Hit something so that it bounces.
bounce a ball
Move up and down repeatedly.

Origin

From Middle English bounsen, bunsen (“to beat, thump”), cognate with Scots bunce, bonce (“to bounce”). Of uncertain origin. Perhaps imitative, related to bump, or related to Middle English bonchen (“to pound, beat”) and Dutch bonken (“to bump”). Compare Saterland Frisian bumzje (“to pound, bang, bounce”), West Frisian bûnzje (“to throb, bounce, pulsate”), Dutch bonzen (“to thump, knock, throb, bounce”), German Low German bunsen, bumsen (“to beat, bounce”), German bumsen (“to thud, bang, pound”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word