dead-cat bounce

noun

: a brief and insignificant recovery (as of stock prices) after a steep decline

Examples of dead-cat bounce in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Did March 14 mark the start of a durable rally, or is this merely a dead-cat bounce of the type that often occurs in bear markets? —

James MacKintosh, WSJ, 2 Apr. 2022 The Academy, understanding all of this, has made big changes that are bound to fail, although the ratings mayenjoy a dead-cat bounce. —

Kyle Smith, National Review, 26 Mar. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dead-cat bounce.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

from the facetious notion that even a dead cat would bounce slightly if dropped from a sufficient height

First Known Use

1985, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of dead-cat bounce was in 1985

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Dead-cat bounce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dead-cat%20bounce. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.

Copy Citation