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

The ability to see the ball off the ricochet, track it into his arms while falling and stay inbounds shows why Kinchens is one of the Rams’ three biggest breakout candidates. — Nate Atkins, New York Times, 28 July 2026

Their ricochet fell right to Knoxville’s McRobb, who clinically tapped the ball out of the air and into the empty net. — Idaho Statesman, 3 July 2026

Verb

Mako Watanabe's Sushi Wars launches Nihonbashi into outer space—a fever dream of sushi motifs and holographic wallpaper, light ricocheting off foil and mirrors. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026

Timo Baumgartl chipped a cross to left side, where Tomas Totland flicked a header back to Ostrak for a bending shot from the corner of the penalty area that ricocheted off the back post to open the scoring. — ABC News, 25 July 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