verb
recoil
REE-koyl
verb
1
To jerk or pull back suddenly, especially from fear, disgust, or shock.
"She recoiled at the sight of the spider."
"He recoiled in horror when he heard the news."
noun
1
The backward kick of a gun when it is fired.
"The rifle's recoil bruised his shoulder."
2
A sudden backward movement or a shrinking away.
"There was a visible recoil in her expression when he mentioned the accident."
How to Use Recoil
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo jump or spring backward, whether physically (a gun) or emotionally (from shock or disgust).
Common pairings
recoil in horror
recoil from
gun recoil
Word Forms
recoiled past tense, recoils plural, recoils singular
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Etymology
From Old French reculer, "to move back," from re- plus a Latin root related to culus — literally suggesting retreating "rear-first."