bounced
bounced — verb
- bouncedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- bounceds3rd person singular
- bounceding-ing form
- bouncededpast simple
1. to spring back from a hard surface after hitting it, or to make something do thi
to spring back from a hard surface after hitting it, or to make something do this
Hana bounced the basketball on the court three times before shooting.
transitive: bounce + object + on [surface]
The tennis ball hit the net and bounced back onto Nikos's side of the court.
intransitive: bounce + back + onto [place]
Layla dropped her phone on the floor, and it bounced twice before landing under the sofa.
When the rubber ball hit the wall, it bounced off at a strange angle and hit a vase.
Devika bounced the beach ball gently to her little brother in the swimming pool.
- rebound
more formal; often used in sports like basketball to describe the ball's return after hitting the board or rim
- spring back
emphasises the fast, elastic return motion; less common in everyday speech
- ricochet
used when an object hits a surface at an angle and moves off in a different direction, especially for bullets or stones
- stick
when an object hits a surface and stays there instead of bouncing away
文法句型
bounce + off/on/against [surface]
bounce + object + off/on/against [surface]
用法筆記
The subject can be either the moving object (intransitive) or the person causing the movement (transitive). 'Bounce off' is a common intransitive pattern.
常見錯誤
2. to walk, run, or move with springy, lively steps because you feel happy and full
to walk, run, or move with springy, lively steps because you feel happy and full of energy
Sari bounced into the kitchen to tell everyone she had passed her driving test.
bounce + into [room] — pattern showing energetic entry
The children bounced around the playground, laughing and chasing each other.
Asher bounced down the stairs two at a time on the first morning of summer vacation.
Despite her tiredness, Lucía bounced across the stage with a big smile to accept her award.
- trudge
to walk slowly with heavy steps, showing tiredness or sadness
文法句型
bounce + adverb/preposition
bounce + into/around/down
用法筆記
The movement suggests a happy, carefree emotion. Subject is usually a person or animal, not an object. This sense is nearly always intransitive.
常見錯誤
3. a bank refuses to pay money on a cheque because the person who wrote it does not
a bank refuses to pay money on a cheque because the person who wrote it does not have enough funds in their account
Hassan's rent cheque bounced because he had forgotten to transfer money into his current account.
intransitive: cheque + bounce
The landlord said he would charge an extra fee if Vinícius bounced another cheque.
transitive: bounce + a cheque
The bank bounced Layla's check, and she had to pay a penalty of thirty dollars.
After Anya's card payment bounced, the store asked her to pay with cash instead.
- be returned unpaid
formal, official; used by banks in statements and letters
- fail to clear
technical banking term; describes the process of the cheque not going through
- clear
the opposite — the bank successfully processes and pays the cheque
文法句型
bounce + check/cheque (intransitive)
bounce + a cheque (transitive)
be bounced (passive)
用法筆記
Common with bank cheques (UK) or checks (US). Often appears in the passive: 'the cheque was bounced.' Also used more broadly for card payments and direct debits that fail due to insufficient funds.
常見錯誤
4. a message sent by email comes back to the person who wrote it, undelivered, typi
a message sent by email comes back to the person who wrote it, undelivered, typically because the recipient's address does not exist or the mail server encounters a problem
The email I sent to Emily's old university address bounced back within an hour.
phrasal: bounce back — common pattern for returned emails
Our server bounced the newsletter because the mailing list had several invalid addresses.
transitive: server bounced + email
Anya checked her inbox and saw that three out of ten marketing emails had bounced.
When the system bounced his message, Nikos double-checked the spelling of the recipient's name.
- be returned
more general; used for physical mail as well as email
- be rejected
technical; used by email servers and mail delivery systems
- go through
the email is successfully delivered to the recipient's inbox
- deliver
the email reaches its destination without issue
文法句型
email + bounces (intransitive)
bounce + an email (transitive)
be bounced back (passive)
用法筆記
Often used with 'back' to form the phrasal verb 'bounce back.' The subject can be the email (intransitive) or the email system/server (transitive). A 'bounce message' or 'bounce notification' is the automated reply explaining why delivery failed.
常見錯誤
5. to force someone to leave a job, role, or place, often because of poor behaviour
to force someone to leave a job, role, or place, often because of poor behaviour or performance
The club bounced three members for fighting during the annual dinner.
transitive: bounce + person + for [reason]
After the scandal, the CEO was bounced from the board of directors within a week.
passive: be bounced from [position]
The security guard bounced a loud customer out of the restaurant when he refused to pay.
Devika was bounced from the project team after she missed three important deadlines in a row.
文法句型
bounce + person + from/out of + place/job
be bounced from [place/job]
用法筆記
Informal and often disapproving. Stronger than 'ask to leave' but softer than 'fire' or 'expel.' Frequently used in the passive voice. The object is usually a person, not a group.
常見錯誤
bounced — noun
1. the action of a ball or other object springing back after hitting a hard surface
the action of a ball or other object springing back after hitting a hard surface, or the physical quality that allows something to spring back
The old tennis ball has lost its bounce, so it barely comes up from the ground.
uncountable: its bounce — the quality
With one quick bounce, the basketball went over the defender's head and straight to the hoop.
countable: one quick bounce — a single instance
Layla tested the trampoline's bounce before letting the children jump on it.
The new running shoes have extra bounce in the soles, which makes long-distance running more comfortable.
After the first bounce, the ball rolled slowly toward the edge of the court.
- flatness
when a ball has no bounce because it is not properly inflated
用法筆記
Can be uncountable (the general quality) or countable (a single instance of bouncing). 'Get/Take a bounce' is a common collocation meaning 'to bounce once.'
2. a rapid rise in value, popularity, or performance, especially after these had be
a rapid rise in value, popularity, or performance, especially after these had been falling
The company saw a bounce in its share prices after announcing record profits for the year.
bounce in + [indicator]
The football team enjoyed a bounce in form after changing their coach mid-season.
Opinion polls showed a clear bounce for the mayor following the new housing policy.
Economists expect a bounce in consumer spending once interest rates start to fall.
After a slow start, there was a noticeable bounce in ticket sales during the final week.
文法句型
bounce + in + [indicator]
bounce + to + [level]
用法筆記
Almost always singular. Common in political journalism ('poll bounce'), financial reporting ('stock bounce'), and sports ('form bounce'). The bounce is usually temporary; a 'sustained bounce' is one that lasts.