bounder
/'baundə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A person who bounds or leaps: This meaning describes someone who moves with energetic jumps or leaps, often in a competitive or athletic context.
- A morally reprehensible person; a cad: This is the more common and informal usage. It refers to a man who behaves in a dishonorable, ungentlemanly, or socially unacceptable way, especially towards women.
Usage Examples
Noun (One who leaps):
- The young bounder cleared the fence with ease.
- In the steeplechase, he was the most graceful bounder on the field.
Noun (A cad):
- He was considered a bounder for not paying his debts.
- That bounder left the party without so much as a thank you.
Advanced Usage
- The term "bounder" is now considered somewhat archaic or literary, particularly in its meaning of a dishonorable man. It carries a strong connotation of social judgment and was often used in British English to describe someone lacking in proper upper-class manners.
- It can be used humorously or ironically in modern contexts to mildly criticize someone's rude or selfish behavior.
Variants and Related Words
- Bound (verb): To leap or spring.
- Bounding (adjective/noun): Moving with leaps; the act of leaping.
- Out-of-bounds (idiomatic phrase): Outside the permitted limits, not related to the person but to the action of leaping.
Synonyms
- Cad: A man who behaves dishonorably.
- Scoundrel: A dishonest or unscrupulous person.
- Rogue: A dishonest or unprincipled man.
- Leaper: One who leaps (for the athletic meaning).
Related Phrases and Idioms
- "A bit of a bounder": A mild, often humorous way to describe someone whose behavior is slightly disreputable or untrustworthy.
- He's charming, but I've heard he's a bit of a bounder with money.
Noun
- someone who bounds or leaps (as in competition)
- someone who is morally reprehensible
- you dirty dog