recoil
verb/rɪˈkɔɪl/
/rɪˈkɔɪl/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they recoil | /rɪˈkɔɪl/ /rɪˈkɔɪl/ |
| he / she / it recoils | /rɪˈkɔɪlz/ /rɪˈkɔɪlz/ |
| past simple recoiled | /rɪˈkɔɪld/ /rɪˈkɔɪld/ |
| past participle recoiled | /rɪˈkɔɪld/ /rɪˈkɔɪld/ |
| -ing form recoiling | /rɪˈkɔɪlɪŋ/ /rɪˈkɔɪlɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive] to move your body quickly away from somebody/something because you find them or it frightening or unpleasant synonym flinch
- recoil (from somebody/something) She recoiled from his touch.
- recoil at something He recoiled in horror at the sight of the corpse.
Extra ExamplesTopics Feelingsc2- As he leaned towards her she instinctively recoiled.
- Carlos recoiled a little at the sharpness in my voice.
- He recoiled in apparent disgust.
- She felt him recoil from her, frightened.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- a bit
- a little
- slightly
- …
- at
- from
- in
- …
- [intransitive] to react to an idea or a situation with strong dislike or fear synonym shrink
- recoil from (doing) something She recoiled from the idea of betraying her own brother.
- recoil at something Tell him the truth? I recoiled at the thought.
- [intransitive] (of a gun) to move suddenly backwards when it is fired
Word OriginMiddle English (denoting the act of retreating): from Old French reculer ‘move back’, based on Latin culus ‘buttocks’.
Check pronunciation:
recoil