Definition

1. Noun:

   • A sudden backward movement: A quick, forceful movement in the opposite direction, often as a reaction to a force or impact.
   • The backward kick of a firearm: The sudden, backward jerk of a gun when it is fired.

2. Verb:

   • To spring or jerk back: To move suddenly backward or away from something, often due to force, shock, or fear.
   • To shrink back in fear, horror, or disgust: To react with a physical or emotional withdrawal from something unpleasant or frightening.
   • To have an adverse consequence for the originator: (Of an action or plan) to return and cause harm or problems for the person who initiated it.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • The rifle has a strong recoil. (The rifle kicks back forcefully when fired.)
  • He felt the recoil of the spring as he released it. (He felt the spring jump back into place.)

• Verb:

  • The gun recoiled sharply into his shoulder. (The gun kicked back forcefully against his shoulder.)
  • She recoiled in horror at the sight. (She drew back suddenly because the sight was horrifying.)
  • His plan to spread rumors recoiled on him when the truth was revealed. (His plan to spread rumors caused problems for him later.)

Advanced Usage

• "Recoil from (something)": To draw back from something physically or to be unwilling to do something because of fear, disgust, or reluctance.

  • He recoiled from the idea of cheating. (He was strongly against and unwilling to consider the idea of cheating.)

• "Recoil at the thought/idea of": To react with strong aversion or disgust to a mental concept.

  • Many people recoil at the thought of eating insects. (Many people are disgusted by the idea of eating insects.)

Variants and Related Words

• Recoilless (adj): Designed to minimize or eliminate backward kick, typically describing a type of firearm.
  • The soldiers used a recoilless rifle. (The soldiers used a rifle that did not kick back when fired.)

Synonyms

• Verb: Flinch, shrink, wince, kick back, bounce back, backfire, rebound.
• Noun: Kick, backlash, rebound.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(Note: "Recoil" is not typically used in standard phrasal verb constructions. The concept is usually expressed with "recoil from" as shown in Advanced Usage.)

Related Idioms

• "Recoil on/upon someone": (Of an action) to have negative consequences for the person who performed it.
  • His lies eventually recoiled on him, and he lost everyone's trust. (His lies later caused him harm by making people stop trusting him.)

Noun

1. a movement back from an impact
2. the backward jerk of a gun when it is fired

Verb

1. spring back, as from a forceful thrust
   • The gun kicked back into my shoulder
2. spring back; spring away from an impact
   • The rubber ball bounced
   • These particles do not resile but they unite after they collide
3. come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect
   • Your comments may backfire and cause you a lot of trouble
4. draw back, as with fear or pain
   • she flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf