Recoil
verb
When something forceful takes place, recoil is the sudden movement backward in responding to it.
The gun recoiled when he shot.

Often appears as...
- recoil in horror
- recoil from impact
verb
To recoil also means to feel fear, disgust or shock and choose not to do something, as a reaction.
She recoiled at the sight of the snake.

Often appears as...
- recoil at the sight
- recoil in disgust
Usage tips
Disapproving
noun
Recoil, as a noun, is an act of suddenly moving backwards because of a forceful impact or because you're afraid or shocked.
The recoil of the gun left him with a bruised shoulder.

Often appears as...
- a violent recoil
- the recoil of the weapon
verb
When something forceful takes place, recoil is the sudden movement backward in responding to it.
The gun recoiled when he shot.

Often appears as...
- recoil in horror
- recoil from impact
verb
To recoil also means to feel fear, disgust or shock and choose not to do something, as a reaction.
She recoiled at the sight of the snake.

Often appears as...
- recoil at the sight
- recoil in disgust
Usage tips
Disapproving
noun
Recoil, as a noun, is an act of suddenly moving backwards because of a forceful impact or because you're afraid or shocked.
The recoil of the gun left him with a bruised shoulder.

Often appears as...
- a violent recoil
- the recoil of the weapon
Definition 1 of 3

Physical Response
Used to describe an involuntary physical reaction to a powerful event or force.

The boxer recoiled from a heavy punch.
Unexpected Force
Often used when the backward movement happens by surprise or without intention.

The rope snapped, causing him to recoil.
Mechanical Action
Commonly describes the backward movement of mechanical objects, like guns, after operation.

Upon firing the rifle, he was pushed back by the recoil.
Physical Response
Used to describe an involuntary physical reaction to a powerful event or force.

The boxer recoiled from a heavy punch.
Unexpected Force
Often used when the backward movement happens by surprise or without intention.

The rope snapped, causing him to recoil.
Mechanical Action
Commonly describes the backward movement of mechanical objects, like guns, after operation.

Upon firing the rifle, he was pushed back by the recoil.
Physical Response
Used to describe an involuntary physical reaction to a powerful event or force.

The boxer recoiled from a heavy punch.
Unexpected Force
Often used when the backward movement happens by surprise or without intention.

The rope snapped, causing him to recoil.
Mechanical Action
Commonly describes the backward movement of mechanical objects, like guns, after operation.

Upon firing the rifle, he was pushed back by the recoil.
Video examples
Bruce Aylward: Humanity...
We saw that misinformation and misperceptions started to spread even faster through the communities, which became even more alarmed about the situation. They started to recoil from those people that you saw in those space suits, as they call them, who had come to help them. And then the situation deteriorated even further.
Video examples
The future of digital...
server for the government to access it but I think naturally we would recoil in horror at the consequences of doing something like that even if there would be some cases where it would help solve crimes and our view is that if we're gonna be forced to have conversations digitally because we can't be sitting
Video examples
Should we eat bugs? -...
and can be reared on organic waste, like vegetable peelings, that might otherwise just end up rotting in landfills. Feeling hungry yet? Faced with a plate of fried crickets, most people today would still recoil, imagining all those legs and feelers getting stuck between their teeth. But think of a lobster.
Video examples
Ami Klin: A new way to...
You would recoil. You would call the police. You would do something, because it's literally impossible to penetrate somebody's physical space and not get that reaction. We do so, remember, intuitively, effortlessly. This is our body wisdom; it's not something mediated by our language.
Video examples
Beautiful Footage:...
the recoil of those elastic elements that were loaded by the muscle action or the release of the bow in the bow and arrow model and it's the recoil of those elastic tissues or that bow that causes the launch of the tongue or the arrow in the bow and arrow example
Video examples
How do animals...
We can make good guesses about some of them, like oysters, worms, and jellyfish. These are examples of animals that either lack a brain or have a very simple one. So an oyster may recoil when squirted with lemon juice, for instance, because of nociception.
Video examples
Why I choose humanism...
So as a humanist, I believe in a proactive approach to life. The changes that we want cannot be achieved only by dreaming but require doing as well. The challenges that we face cannot go away if we recoil and retreat into our shells, wishing and imagining
Video examples
A new way to diagnose...
probably two things wouldn't you you would recoil you call the police you do something because it's virtually impossible to penetrate somebody's physical space and not get that reaction we do so remember intuitively effortlessly this is our body wisdom is
Video examples
There's no shame in...
My best friend in the world -- a brilliant, philosophical, charming, hip young man -- was diagnosed with schizophrenia. I witnessed some of the friends we'd grown up with recoil.
Video examples
Blanca: Lobo's mate PIPE...
by reluctant to leave his mate but it would have been suicide to stay and face the men's guns Seaton would later recoil from what he called the
Video examples
Bruce Aylward: Humanity...
We saw that misinformation and misperceptions started to spread even faster through the communities, which became even more alarmed about the situation. They started to recoil from those people that you saw in those space suits, as they call them, who had come to help them. And then the situation deteriorated even further.
Video examples
The future of digital...
server for the government to access it but I think naturally we would recoil in horror at the consequences of doing something like that even if there would be some cases where it would help solve crimes and our view is that if we're gonna be forced to have conversations digitally because we can't be sitting
Video examples
Should we eat bugs? -...
and can be reared on organic waste, like vegetable peelings, that might otherwise just end up rotting in landfills. Feeling hungry yet? Faced with a plate of fried crickets, most people today would still recoil, imagining all those legs and feelers getting stuck between their teeth. But think of a lobster.
Video examples
Ami Klin: A new way to...
You would recoil. You would call the police. You would do something, because it's literally impossible to penetrate somebody's physical space and not get that reaction. We do so, remember, intuitively, effortlessly. This is our body wisdom; it's not something mediated by our language.
Video examples
Beautiful Footage:...
the recoil of those elastic elements that were loaded by the muscle action or the release of the bow in the bow and arrow model and it's the recoil of those elastic tissues or that bow that causes the launch of the tongue or the arrow in the bow and arrow example
Video examples
How do animals...
We can make good guesses about some of them, like oysters, worms, and jellyfish. These are examples of animals that either lack a brain or have a very simple one. So an oyster may recoil when squirted with lemon juice, for instance, because of nociception.
Video examples
Why I choose humanism...
So as a humanist, I believe in a proactive approach to life. The changes that we want cannot be achieved only by dreaming but require doing as well. The challenges that we face cannot go away if we recoil and retreat into our shells, wishing and imagining
Video examples
A new way to diagnose...
probably two things wouldn't you you would recoil you call the police you do something because it's virtually impossible to penetrate somebody's physical space and not get that reaction we do so remember intuitively effortlessly this is our body wisdom is
Video examples
There's no shame in...
My best friend in the world -- a brilliant, philosophical, charming, hip young man -- was diagnosed with schizophrenia. I witnessed some of the friends we'd grown up with recoil.
Video examples
Blanca: Lobo's mate PIPE...
by reluctant to leave his mate but it would have been suicide to stay and face the men's guns Seaton would later recoil from what he called the
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Beck
American Musician
When I started out playing small clubs, you could feel the room recoil from certain kinds of songs. Anything that was too personal, that had a sentiment to it, or was laying out your feelings, was immediately booed. People would start throwing things. And anything that was really provocative or humorous or radical was embraced or cheered.

Quote examples
Joy Reid
American Journalist
Americans have, at various times, leaned on the FBI for a measure of justice that local and state police couldn't be counted on to deliver, and recoiled in fear at their exercise of raw federal power. That uneasy trust; the combination of need and dread, is the lot that FBI agents live with day to day.

Quote examples
Carolyn Porco
American Scientist
To my mind, most people go through life recoiling from its best parts. They miss the enrichment that just a basic knowledge of the physical world can bring to the most ordinary experiences.

Quote examples
Laura Lippman
American Author
I think I'm part of a generation of crime writers all of whom woke up independently and recoiled with horror at the fact that we'd chosen this very conservative genre.

Quote examples
Carnie Wilson
American Musician
Life presents itself in constantly changing ways, but you're able to accept the challenges, rather than recoil, throw up your hands, and go on a binge.

Quote examples
John McCain
American Politician
I know in war good people can feel obliged for good reasons to do things they would normally object to and recoil from.

Quote examples
John Lithgow
American Actor
I am such a coward when it comes to political arguments. I tend to sort of recoil rather than engage.

Quote examples
Jack London
American Novelist
One cannot violate the promptings of one's nature without having that nature recoil upon itself.

Quote examples
Ramana Maharshi
Indian Philosopher
It is every intelligent man's experience that evildoing recoils on the doer sooner or later.

Quote examples
Bill Keller
American Editor
The Democrats generally recoil from the subject of entitlements.

Quote examples
Beck
American Musician
When I started out playing small clubs, you could feel the room recoil from certain kinds of songs. Anything that was too personal, that had a sentiment to it, or was laying out your feelings, was immediately booed. People would start throwing things. And anything that was really provocative or humorous or radical was embraced or cheered.

Quote examples
Joy Reid
American Journalist
Americans have, at various times, leaned on the FBI for a measure of justice that local and state police couldn't be counted on to deliver, and recoiled in fear at their exercise of raw federal power. That uneasy trust; the combination of need and dread, is the lot that FBI agents live with day to day.

Quote examples
Carolyn Porco
American Scientist
To my mind, most people go through life recoiling from its best parts. They miss the enrichment that just a basic knowledge of the physical world can bring to the most ordinary experiences.

Quote examples
Laura Lippman
American Author
I think I'm part of a generation of crime writers all of whom woke up independently and recoiled with horror at the fact that we'd chosen this very conservative genre.

Quote examples
Carnie Wilson
American Musician
Life presents itself in constantly changing ways, but you're able to accept the challenges, rather than recoil, throw up your hands, and go on a binge.

Quote examples
John McCain
American Politician
I know in war good people can feel obliged for good reasons to do things they would normally object to and recoil from.

Quote examples
John Lithgow
American Actor
I am such a coward when it comes to political arguments. I tend to sort of recoil rather than engage.

Quote examples
Jack London
American Novelist
One cannot violate the promptings of one's nature without having that nature recoil upon itself.

Quote examples
Ramana Maharshi
Indian Philosopher
It is every intelligent man's experience that evildoing recoils on the doer sooner or later.

Quote examples
Bill Keller
American Editor
The Democrats generally recoil from the subject of entitlements.

Example 1 of 10
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