recoil

1 of 2

verb

re·​coil ri-ˈkȯi(-ə)l 

recoiled; recoiling; recoils

intransitive verb

1

a

: to fall back under pressure

b

: to shrink back physically or emotionally

2

: to spring back to or as if to a starting point : rebound

3

obsolete : degenerate

recoil

2 of 2

noun

re·​coil ˈrē-ˌkȯi(-ə)l 

ri-ˈkȯi(-ə)l

1

: the act or action of recoiling

especially : the kickback of a gun upon firing

2

: reaction

the recoil from the rigors of Calvinism

—Edmund Wilson

Synonyms

Verb

• blench
• cringe
• flinch
• quail
• shrink
• squinch
• wince

Choose the Right Synonym for recoil

recoil, shrink, flinch, wince, blench, quail mean to draw back in fear or distaste.

recoil implies a start or movement away through shock, fear, or disgust.

recoiled at the suggestion of stealing

shrink suggests an instinctive recoil through sensitiveness, scrupulousness, or cowardice.

shrank from the unpleasant truth

flinch implies a failure to endure pain or face something dangerous or frightening with resolution.

faced her accusers without flinching

wince suggests a slight involuntary physical reaction (such as a start or recoiling).

winced in pain

blench implies fainthearted flinching.

stood their ground without blenching

quail suggests shrinking and cowering in fear.

quailed before the apparition

Examples of recoil in a Sentence

Verb

We recoiled in horror at the sight of his wounded arm.

He recoiled from her touch.

The rifle recoiled and bruised my shoulder.

Noun

The gun has a sharp recoil.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

In the following years, Erdoğan tossed a record number of journalists in jail and censored the internet, and foreign investors recoiled. —Leif Wenar, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024

Sure, fans of pointy or round-toe shoes—which are far more the norm—may recoil at the thought of embracing such a bulky silhouette. —Christian Allaire, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2024

The tone of the film is coloured by the revulsion of a filmmaker recoiling from his subject. —Hazlitt, 6 Mar. 2024

Now Wang and co have used the technique to watch these particles recoil as nuclei within them decay. —The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024

Apple’s history of censorship Americans recoil at the idea of censorship. —Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024

My whole body recoiled at the thought of Knight drinking a decade-old boysenberry Caf-Pow. —EW.com, 12 Feb. 2024

When an African man selling trinkets on a promenade tries to befriend her, Jacqueline recoils from his gestures of solidarity. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Feb. 2024

During Trump’s presidency, voters recoiled against his harsh policies toward unauthorized migrants, especially the separation of children from their families. —David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 2 Feb. 2024

Noun

Bystanders and buildings have been struck by the bullet spray of modified Glocks, which cause a recoil that is difficult for unskilled or inexperienced users to control, the complaint alleges. —Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024

The reason for his recoil was soon revealed as a frog bounded out of the long grass around his ball. —Jack Bantock, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024

Turn on the recoil activation for the video and camera and capture unique stills and footage from your hunts. —Amanda Oliver, Field & Stream, 21 Mar. 2024

The recoil from beta emissions is not yet observable because the mass of an electron and a neutrino are so small. —The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024

Many players had issues with the recoil changes to pistols and shotguns in the patch, and questioned why these were made at all given most weapons seemed to be in a good place. —Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024

However, the force is tiny and the recoil hard to see, particularly when thermal noise can swamp such movement. —The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024

Earlier this month Escape From Tarkov patch 14.1 launched in a disastrous state, introducing new bugs, performance drops and recoil changes that were hated by almost everyone. —Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024

Fans were almost immediately annoyed at the changes, with some videos showing how extreme recoil now was. —Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English reculen, recoilen, from Anglo-French reculer, recuiler, from re- + cul backside — more at culet

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing recoil

• recoil-operated

Kids Definition

recoil

1 of 2 verb

re·​coil ri-ˈkȯi(ə)l 

1

a

: to fall back under pressure : retreat

b

: to shrink back

recoil in horror

2

: to spring back to or as if to a starting point

the compressed spring recoiled upon release

the big gun recoiled upon firing

recoil

2 of 2 noun

re·​coil ˈrē-ˌkȯil 

ri-ˈkȯi(ə)l

1

: the act or action of recoiling

2

: the distance through which something (as a spring) recoils