# bounced

/ˈbaʊnst/ (US) · /bˈaʊnst/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bounced
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. hit and moved back

verb · CEFR A2

hit a surface and moved away from it quickly.

For teachers: rebounded off a surface after impact.

- The ball bounced off the wall and hit the window.
- The light bounced off the polished marble floor, creating a glare that made it difficult for the photographers to focus their lenses.

### 2. refused by a bank

adjective · CEFR B2

describes a cheque that a bank will not pay because there is not enough money in the account.

For teachers: denoting a cheque that has been returned by a bank due to insufficient funds in the drawer's account.

- He had to pay a fine because his rent cheque bounced.
- The supplier refused to ship further goods until the debt from the bounced cheque was settled in cash.

### 3. email not delivered

adjective · CEFR B1

describes an email that was sent back to you because it could not reach the other person.

For teachers: pertaining to an electronic message that has been returned to the sender by a mail server because it could not be delivered.

- I tried to send the file, but the email bounced because the address was wrong.
- The marketing team noticed that a high percentage of their newsletters bounced, suggesting that their subscriber list was significantly outdated.

## Examples

- My credit card was bounced at the store.
- The online session timed out and the user was bounced back to the login screen.
- After the company's cash flow dried up, several payroll checks were bounced, causing immediate friction with key suppliers.

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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.