1. recoil - noun
· the backward jerk of a gun when it is fired
Synonym(s): kick
2. recoil - noun
· a movement back from an impact
Synonym(s): repercussion, rebound, backlash
3. recoil - verb
· draw back, as with fear or pain; "she flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf"
Synonym(s): flinch, squinch, funk, cringe, shrink, wince, quail
Hypernym(s): move
4. recoil - verb
· come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect; "Your comments may backfire and cause you a lot of trouble"; "the political movie backlashed on the Democrats"
Synonym(s): backfire, backlash
Hypernym(s): happen, hap, go_on, pass_off, occur, pass, fall_out, come_about, take_place
5. recoil - verb
· spring back; spring away from an impact; "The rubber ball bounced"; "These particles do not resile but they unite after they collide"
Synonym(s): bounce, resile, take_a_hop, spring, bound, rebound, reverberate, ricochet
Hypernym(s): jump, leap, bound, spring
6. recoil - verb
· spring back, as from a forceful thrust; "The gun kicked back into my shoulder"
Hypernym(s): bounce, resile, take_a_hop, spring, bound, rebound, recoil, reverberate, ricochet
Try Again
