recoil
verb/ɹɪˈkɔɪl/
Etymology From Old French reculer. Further from Latin re- + cūlus.
1
To pull back, especially in disgust, horror or astonishment.
- He recoiled in disgust when he saw the mess.
- For decades, humankind steeled itself for the rise of thinking machines. As we marveled at their ability to beat chess champions and predict protein structures, we also recoiled from their inherent uncanniness, not to mention the threats to our sense of humanity.2025 December 11, Charlie Campbell, Andrew R. Chow and Billy Perrigo, “The Architects of AI Are TIME’s 2025 Person of the Year”, in Time:
2
Archaic To recoil before an opponent.
- that rude rout […] forced them, how ever strong and stout / They were, as well approv'd in many a doubt, / Backe to recule […]1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
3
Engineering, Government, Military, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Politics, Tools, War, Weaponry Of a firearm: to quickly push back when fired.
4
Obsolete To retire, withdraw.
- Ye both forwearied be: therefore a whyle / Iread you rest, and to your bowres recoyle.1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
- Thus vvhen this Courtly Gentleman vvith toyle / Himſelfe hath vvearied, he doth recoyle / Vnto his reſt, and there vvith ſvveete delight / Of Muſicks skill reuiues his toyled ſpright, […]1591, Ed[mund] Sp[enser], “Prosopopoia. Or Mother Hubberds Tale.”, in Complaints. Containing Sundrie Small Poemes of the Worlds Vanitie. […], London: […] William Ponsonbie, […], →OCLC, signature O2, verso:
4 more examples
- Her will, recoiling to her better judgementc. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:
- Evil on itself shall back recoil.1634 October 9 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637, →OCLC; reprinted as Comus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1903, →OCLC:
- Manners knovvs diſtance, and a man unrude / VVo'd ſoon recoile, and not intrude / His Stomach to a ſecond Meale.1648, Robert Herrick, “A Panegerick to Sir Lewis Pemberton”, in Hesperides: Or, The Works both Humane & Divine […], London: […] John Williams, and Francis Eglesfield, and are to be sold by Tho[mas] Hunt, […], →OCLC, page 169:
- The solemnity of her demeanor made it impossible […] that we should recoil into our ordinary spirits.1838, Thomas De Quincey, The Household Wreck:
- Derived terms
- recoiler, recoilingly, unrecoiling