English Meaning & Definitions
The act of suddenly springing or flinching back in fear, horror, or disgust.
- “She was recoiling in horror at the sight of the spider crawling across her desk.”
- “The crowd stood recoiling from the heat of the massive explosion.”
The backward movement of a gun or piece of artillery when it is fired.
- “The heavy rifle was recoiling against his shoulder with every shot.”
- “Engineers designed a new mechanism to reduce the recoiling force of the cannon.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “recoiling”.
Derived from the Middle English 'recoilen', which traces back to the Old French 'recoiller', formed from the prefix 're-' (back) and 'coiller' (to collect or gather), ultimately from the Latin 'colligere'. Originally used in the context of a bird returning to the lure, it evolved to describe the sudden backward movement of a firearm or a person flinching from fear or disgust.
Think of a coil spring: when you push it down and let go, it 're-coils' or snaps back quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions About “recoiling”
1. What is the meaning of “recoiling” in English?
In English, recoiling (verb) is defined as: “The act of suddenly springing or flinching back in fear, horror, or disgust.”.
2. How do you use “recoiling” in a sentence?
“She was recoiling in horror at the sight of the spider crawling across her desk.”
3. What are English synonyms of “recoiling”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “recoiling”?
Derived from the Middle English 'recoilen', which traces back to the Old French 'recoiller', formed from the prefix 're-' (back) and 'coiller' (to collect or gather), ultimately from the Latin 'colligere'. Originally used in the context of a bird returning to the lure, it evolved to describe the sudden backward movement of a firearm or a person flinching from fear or disgust.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →A measurement of time indicating an instantaneous occurrence or a state where no time has elapsed.
The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.