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recoil

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of recoil

to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust

  • the social worker tried not to recoil from the sight of the cockroach in the bathtub
Synonyms of recoil

blench, cringe, flinch, quail, shrink, squinch, wince
Words Related to recoil

blanch, pale, whiten

quake, quiver, shake, shudder, tremble

crouch

jerk, start, twitch

recede, retire, retreat, withdraw

falter, hesitate, reel, waver
Near Antonyms of recoil

advance, approach, near

beard, challenge, confront, defy, face

Synonym Discussion of 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

Learn More about recoil

  1. See words that rhyme with recoil Dictionary: Definition of recoil Spanish Central: Translation of recoil Nglish: Translation of recoil for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of recoil for Arabic speakers

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