# bounce

> English word · Verb · IPA /baʊns/ · frequency rank #6,873

## Definitions
1. To change the direction of motion after hitting an obstacle.
2. To move quickly up and then down (or vice versa), once or repeatedly.
3. To cause to move quickly up and down, or back and forth, once or repeatedly.
4. To suggest or introduce (an idea, etc.) to (off or by) someone, in order to gain feedback.
5. To leap or spring suddenly or unceremoniously; to bound.
6. To move rapidly (between).
7. To be refused by a bank because it is drawn on insufficient funds.
8. To fail to cover (have sufficient funds for) (a cheque/check drawn on one's account).
9. To leave.
10. To eject violently, as from a room; to discharge unceremoniously, as from employment.
11. To have sexual intercourse.
12. To attack unexpectedly.
13. To turn power to (a device) off and back on; to reset; to reboot.
14. To return undelivered.
15. To land hard and lift off again due to excess momentum.
16. To land hard at unsurvivable velocity with fatal results.
17. To mix (two or more tracks of a multi-track audio recording) and record the result onto a single track, in order to free up tracks for further material to be added.
18. To render two or more tracks to computer storage so that they can be played back and re-recorded with further material added.
19. To bully; to scold.
20. To boast; to bluster.
21. To strike or thump, so as to make a sudden noise upon rebound; to knock loudly.
22. To race poorly after a successful race.

## Etymology
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”).

## Easily confused with
- **bunch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bounce-vs-bunch)
- **bound** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bounce-vs-bound)
- **Bruce** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bounce-vs-bruce)
- **Boyce** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bounce-vs-boyce)
- **bounty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bounce-vs-bounty)
- **bounds** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bounce-vs-bounds)
- **brunch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bounce-vs-brunch)
- **bourne** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bounce-vs-bourne)
- **bouncy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bounce-vs-bouncy)
- **Bourke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bounce-vs-bourke)
- **bounded** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bounce-vs-bounded)
- **bounced** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bounce-vs-bounced)
- **bounces** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bounce-vs-bounces)
- **bouncer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bounce-vs-bouncer)
- **bone** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bone-vs-bounce)
- **borne** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/borne-vs-bounce)
- **Boone** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boone-vs-bounce)
- **bonne** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bonne-vs-bounce)
- **Bonnie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bonnie-vs-bounce)
- **bodice** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bodice-vs-bounce)

## Common misspellings (8)
`bbounce`, `bonuce`, `boucne`, `bouncce`, `bounec`, `bounnce`, `buonce`, `obunce`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/bounce