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

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

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

The blocked ricochet that came right back to Mavididi was kind, as was the palming of the ball into the net by ‘keeper Bart Verbruggen from the 26-year-old’s eventual shot. —Tim Spiers, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025

McDavid gathered the long ricochet well past center ice, stayed ahead of speedy Roope Hintz and beat goalie Casey DeSmith with 5:32 left in the second period. —Stephen Hawkins, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025

Verb

Two shoppers were wounded in the checkout line when a bullet fired by accident hit one person, then ricocheted into another, according to investigators in Georgia. —Mark Price, Miami Herald, 24 June 2025

Lee struck out to end the game on a ball that ricocheted away from catcher William Contreras. —Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 21 June 2025

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
• adonais
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• 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