On the Rebound: Bouncing Back in More Ways Than One
To rebound is to bounce back. Basketball made a noun of it, and relationships borrowed the phrase for someone recovering from a break-up.
To rebound is to bounce back after hitting something. Basketball turned it into a noun for the ball collected after a missed shot, and everyday speech turned it into a phrase about relationships: someone *on the rebound* is bouncing away from a recent break-up, and the metaphor is not usually flattering.
- To bounce back. *The ball rebounded off the post.*
- To recover. *Prices rebounded sharply.*
- A ball collected after a missed shot. *He took twelve rebounds.*
- On the rebound — soon after a break-up. *They met when she was on the rebound.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | rebound | It rebounded. |
| Past | rebounded | The market rebounded. |
| Noun | rebound | A strong rebound. |
| Adjective | rebounding | A rebounding economy. |
| Related | backfire | The plan backfired. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Sales rebounded in the second half.Economics.
- He scored from the rebound.Sport.
- The decision rebounded on the minister.Rebound on means to rebound to someone's cost.
Bouncing back words
- Rebound — bounce back physically or in value
- Recover — return to a previous state
- Bounce back — the plain English version
- Backfire — produce the opposite of the intended effect
- Resilience — the capacity to recover repeatedly
From Old French *rebondir*, from *re-*, back, and *bondir*, to leap. The relationship sense is recorded from the nineteenth century.
What does *on the rebound* mean?
In a new relationship very soon after ending another, when feelings from the first are still active.
Rebound or backfire?
A rebound bounces back neutrally, sometimes favourably. A backfire produces the opposite of what was wanted.