recoil

1 of 2

verb

re·​coil ri-ˈkȯi(-ə)l How to pronounce recoil (audio)
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 How to pronounce recoil (audio)
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 CalvinismEdmund Wilson
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
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 Meanwhile, the Lions recoiled, by twice failing to convert on fourth down, fumbling, and punting on a three-and-out series. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 29 Jan. 2024 Other avant-garde artists, recoiling from industrialization and a sense of civilizational corruption, had been thinking along similar lines for a while. Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2024
Noun
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 Through strange awards-season alchemy, the combination of Maestro and Cooper’s star persona has made the public recoil from both. Vulture, 3 Feb. 2024 Customized with red trim, a mag-well grip and a compensator to reduce recoil, the gun lay within easy reach in the pouch behind the driver’s seat. Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2024 Some in the entertainment business say the recoil the actor experiences from firing a real gun is difficult to replicate with a fake. Clifford S. Asness, WSJ, 12 Dec. 2023 Rather than recoil at contact from a stranger, Murray returned the hug, smiling. Tania Ganguli, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2023 Sheathing the barrel are a dual recoil system and balancing gear, which provide stability and give the gun a bayonetlike appearance as it’s aimed skyward. Hope Hodge Seck, Popular Mechanics, 21 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'recoil.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of recoil was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near recoil

Cite this Entry

“Recoil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recoil. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

recoil

1 of 2 verb
re·​coil ri-ˈkȯi(ə)l How to pronounce recoil (audio)
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 How to pronounce recoil (audio)
ri-ˈkȯi(ə)l
1
: the act or action of recoiling
2
: the distance through which something (as a spring) recoils

More from Merriam-Webster on recoil

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