# dead cat bounce

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/dead-cat-bounce
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A temporary recovery in the price of a financial instrument which has fallen rapidly and is expected to fall further in the long run.

## Examples

- The stock price rose slightly, but it was just a dead cat bounce.
- Do not buy these shares now because this recovery is a dead cat bounce.
- Investors were fooled by the brief price increase, failing to realize it was merely a dead cat bounce before the market crashed again.
- Experts warned that the small gain in the company's value was a dead cat bounce caused by short-term traders rather than real growth.
- Market analysts cautioned that the sudden recovery in share prices was likely a dead cat bounce, as the underlying economic fundamentals remained fundamentally broken.

## Origin

The term draws upon the physical observation that a feline dropped from a sufficient height may exhibit a brief, kinetic recoil upon impact without this indicating any return to vitality. In financial contexts, it suggests that even a deceased animal will bounce if the fall is long enough, though the subsequent lack of movement remains the more pertinent condition.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.