recoil in WordNet English dictionary

1. come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect
   "Your comments may backfire and cause you a lot of trouble"
   backfire  backlash  recoil 
   
2. spring back; spring away from an impact
   "The rubber ball bounced"; "These particles do not resile but they unite after they collide"
   bounce  resile  take a hop  spring  bound  rebound  recoil  reverberate  ricochet 
   
3. draw back, as with fear or pain
   "she flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf"
   flinch  squinch  funk  cringe  shrink  wince  recoil  quail 
   
4. spring back, as from a forceful thrust
   "The gun kicked back into my shoulder"
   kick back  recoil  kick 
   

1. a movement back from an impact
   recoil  repercussion  rebound  backlash 
   
2. the backward jerk of a gun when it is fired
   recoil  kick