bouncer

boun·cer
B3O1U1N1C3E1R1
UK/ˈbaʊn.sə/US/ˈbaʊn.sɚ/

noun

A person or thing that bounces something, such as a ball.

Less commonScrabble 11

Meanings

nounbouncer (plural bouncers)

plural bouncers

  1. A person or thing that bounces something, such as a ball.
  2. informalA member of security personnel employed by bars, nightclubs, etc. to decide who can enter, maintain order, and deal with patrons who cause trouble.

    At 199 centimetres and a hundred kilos going up, he was scary big and he found work as a bouncer and enforcer[.]

    2010, Peter Corris, Torn Apart, Allen and Unwin, page 117

    Synonyms: doorman, chucker-out

  3. ball gamesA short-pitched ball that bounces up towards, or above the height of the batsman’s head.

    ‘You try to hit the bouncer that you should duck under. Your bat misses it completely. The ball strikes your temple, whack!’

    1998, Kamila Shamsie, In the City by the Sea, Bloomsbury (2004), page 165

    Synonyms: bumper

  4. InternetAn account or server (as with IRC and FTP) that invisibly redirects requests to another, used for anonymity or vanity.

    Synonyms: BNC

  5. datedOne who bounces; a large, heavy person who makes much noise in moving.

    "Why, I'll tell you, Mr. Simple; he's a good tempered, kind fellow enough, but—" / "But what?" / "Such a bouncer!!" / "How do you mean? He's not a very stout man." / "Bless you, Mr. Simple, why don't you understand English. I mean that he's the greatest liar that ever walked a deck.[…]"

    1833, [Frederick Marryat], chapter XII, in Peter Simple. […], volume II, London: Saunders and Otley, […], published 1834, →OCLC, page 190
  6. archaicslangA boaster; a bully.
  7. Something big; a good stout example of the kind.

    The stone must be a bouncer.

    1842, Thomas De Quincey, “Modern Greece”, in Blackwood's Magazine

    Synonyms: whopper

  8. archaicslangA bold lie.

    "… when he wants to accomplish his purpose, he does not hesitate to invent—I am not quite sure of the word, but I think it is “bouncers.”

    1877, W. S. Gilbert, “Engaged”, in Original Plays, Second Series, London: Chatto & Windus, published 1899, page 83

    Synonyms: whopper

  9. archaicslangA liar.

    "Why, I'll tell you, Mr. Simple; he's a good tempered, kind fellow enough, but—" / "But what?" / "Such a bouncer!!" / "How do you mean? He's not a very stout man." / "Bless you, Mr. Simple, why don't you understand English. I mean that he's the greatest liar that ever walked a deck.[…]"

    1833, [Frederick Marryat], chapter XII, in Peter Simple. […], volume II, London: Saunders and Otley, […], published 1834, →OCLC, page 190
  10. A kind of seat mounted in a framework in which a baby can bounce up and down.

    He shook his head and took up the child—Dilly kicked out her feet in tiny electric jolts to the full stretch of the Babygro.[…]He put the child in the bouncer again.

    2019, Kevin Barry, Night Boat to Tangier, New York: Doubleday, →ISBN, pages 82–83
  11. UKabbreviationobsoleteslangShort for shop-bouncer
    1 more example

    Noting a shop where goods are piled on the counter, or within reach, a man goes in called a bouncer, and generally asks to look at some handkerchiefs, selecting a time when there is only one shopman in the way, breakfast-time for instance; whilst this is going on, a well-dressed youth comes in with a blue bag in his hand, asking for shoe-ties, or some trifling article. Now the work begins; […]

    1832, Fraser's Magazine for Town and Country, volume 6, page 478

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA member of security personnel employed by bars, nightclubs, etc. to decide who can enter, maintain order, and deal with patrons who cause trouble.

nounA short-pitched ball that bounces up towards, or above the height of the batsman’s head.

Similar

nounAn account or server (as with IRC and FTP) that invisibly redirects requests to another, used for anonymity or vanity.

Similar

nounSomething big; a good stout example of the kind.

Similar

nounA bold lie.

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

nouna person whose duty is to throw troublemakers out of a bar or public meeting

Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Translations

Afrikaans portier, uitsmyter
  • portiermember of security personnel
  • uitsmytermember of security personnel
Basque atezain, diskotekako atezain
  • atezainmember of security personnel
  • diskotekako atezainmember of security personnel
Catalan porter
  • portermember of security personnel
Czech vyhazovač
  • vyhazovačmember of security personnel
Danish dørvogter, dørmand
  • dørvogtermember of security personnel
  • dørmandmember of security personnel
Dutch portier, buitenwipper
  • portiermember of security personnel
  • buitenwippermember of security personnel
  • uitsmijtermember of security personnel
Esperanto elĵetisto
  • elĵetistomember of security personnel
Finnish portsari, poke
  • portsarimember of security personnel
  • pokemember of security personnel
  • ulosheittäjämember of security personnel
  • eteisvahtimestarimember of security personnel
French videur, physio
  • videurmember of security personnel
  • physiomember of security personnel
German Türsteher, Türsteherin
  • Türstehermember of security personnel
  • Türsteherinmember of security personnel
  • Rausschmeißermember of security personnel
  • Rausschmeißerinmember of security personnel
Greek μπράβος, πορτιέρης
  • μπράβος (brávos)member of security personnel
  • πορτιέρης (portiéris)member of security personnel
  • ευταξίας (eftaxías)member of security personnel
Hungarian kidobó, kidobóember
  • kidobómember of security personnel
  • kidobóembermember of security personnel
Irish doirseoir slándála, preabaire
  • doirseoir slándálamember of security personnel
  • preabairemember of security personnel
Italian buttafuori
  • buttafuorimember of security personnel
Polish bramkarz, wykidajło
  • bramkarzmember of security personnel
  • wykidajłomember of security personnel
Portuguese segurança, leão de chácara
  • segurançamember of security personnel
  • leão de chácaramember of security personnel
Romanian portar
  • portarmember of security personnel
Russian вышиба́ла
  • вышиба́ла (vyšibála)member of security personnel
Spanish portero, gorila
  • porteromember of security personnel
  • gorilamember of security personnel
  • puertamember of security personnel
  • patovicamember of security personnel
  • sacabullasmember of security personnel
  • shafomember of security personnel
  • seguratamember of security personnel
  • cancerberomember of security personnel
  • cadeneromember of security personnel
Swahili baunsa
  • baunsamember of security personnel
Swedish dörrvakt, utkastare
  • dörrvaktmember of security personnel
  • utkastaremember of security personnel
  • rockvaktmästaremember of security personnel
Welsh dryswr, drysor
  • dryswrmember of security personnel
  • drysormember of security personnel
  • taflwr allanmember of security personnel
  • bownsermember of security personnel

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with bouncer

All rhymes →

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

bouncer. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bouncer

MLA

“bouncer.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bouncer. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bouncer,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bouncer.

Source: bouncer on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.