ricochet

1 of 2

noun

ric·​o·​chet ˈri-kə-ˌshā 

British also -ˌshet

: a glancing rebound (as of a projectile off a flat surface)

the ricochet of the bullet off the wall

also : an object that ricochets

He was hit by a ricochet.

ricochet

2 of 2

verb

ricocheted ˈri-kə-ˌshād  also ricochetted ˈri-kə-ˌshe-təd  ; ricocheting ˈri-kə-ˌshā-iŋ  also ricochetting ˈri-kə-ˌshe-tiŋ 

intransitive verb

: to bounce or skip with or as if with a glancing rebound

… fired a shot and watched the puck ricochet off Ellett's left skate …

—Austin Murphy

The bullet that hit President Reagan had ricocheted off the presidential limousine.

—David Fisher

The ball ricochets at a right angle, falling with force into the first baseman's glove …

—Bob Drury

The chute snaps open, the sound ricocheting through the gorge like a gunshot, and McGuire is soaring, carving S turns into the air, swooping over a winding creek.

—Karl Taro Greenfeld

Synonyms of ricochet

Verb

• bounce
• rebound

Examples of ricochet in a Sentence

Noun

He was hit by a ricochet.

the ricochet of the bullet off the wall

Verb

The bullet ricocheted off the wall.

the ball ricocheted off the fielder's glove and went over the fence for a home run

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Named by her new owner, Silvia after a Mexican pop star whose 1980s hits ricochet from a rickety TV, Yuri upends Silvia’s solitary existence on a windswept island off the southern coast of Chile, setting the protagonist on a journey of self-discovery that forces her to confront childhood traumas. —Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026

Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernández overran the ricochet. —Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 15 May 2026

Verb

The Land Rover ricocheted off the Rogue and struck a 2015 Nissan NV200, which was launched backward and came to a stop in the southbound lanes, BSO said. —Sofia Saric may 27, Miami Herald, 27 May 2026

Buehrle got drilled in the foot by a comebacker and the ball ricocheted into foul territory on the first-base side. —Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French

First Known Use

Noun

1740, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1804, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ricochet

• aaa
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• axillae
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier
• breakaway

Kids Definition

ricochet

1 of 2 noun

ric·​o·​chet ˈrik-ə-ˌshā 

British also -ˌshet

1

: a bouncing off at an angle (as of a bullet off a flat surface)

2

: an object that ricochets

ricochet

2 of 2 verb

ricocheted

-ˌshād

also ricochetted

-ˌshet-əd

; ricocheting

-ˌshā-iŋ

also ricochetting

-ˌshet-iŋ

: to bounce off at an angle