recoil

noun

a movement back from an impact

the backward jerk of a gun when it is fired

verb

spring back, as from a forceful thrust

spring back

come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect

draw back, as with fear or pain

Roots

rere- · Latin · back culuscoil- · Latin · buttocks

Synonyms for recoil

flinchv ricochetn backlashn resilev wincen cringev repercussionn bouncev reboundn backfirev kickn

Synonyms & related words for recoil

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of recoil — including flinch, ricochet, backlash, resile, wince, cringe. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to recoil

Explore words related to recoil — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include recoilless, kickless, blowback, breechloader, scattergun, supergun, rifle, gun. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for recoil

Common synonyms for recoil include flinch, ricochet, backlash, resile, wince, cringe, repercussion, bounce — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does recoil come from?

The word recoil breaks down into 2 roots of Latin origin: re-, from Latin re (“back”); and coil, from Latin culus (“buttocks”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.