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Glite Dictionary
to give the bounce

to give the bounce

9.7
End someone's job or relationship suddenly and without warning
  • idiom
  • UK
translation icon : dar la patada
  • After the scandal, the board gave the bounce to the CEO.

Examples

  • Tired of constant arguments, Tom finally gave the bounce to his roommate.

  • She decided to give the bounce to her unreliable partner.

  • After only one week on the job, the manager gave the bounce to the new assistant.

  • When she found out he was lying, she gave the bounce without a second thought.

  • After only one week on the job, the manager gave the bounce to the new assistant.

  • Tired of constant arguments, Tom finally gave the bounce to his roommate.

  • When she found out he was lying, she gave the bounce without a second thought.

Synonyms

to dump
vsto give the bounce
  • Informal
501 5.1

To end a romantic relationship suddenly and without care

shares sudden ending but covers broader dismissals beyond romance
to break up with
vsto give the bounce
  • Informal
417 3.4

To end a romantic relationship with someone

is a sudden ending used for both romantic and other associations
to break off
vsto give the bounce
50 3.2

To stop something suddenly before it is finished, for example a talk or relationship

focuses specifically on sudden ending of ties rather than interruptions
to bounce
vsto give the bounce
  • Informal
49 7.0

To force someone to leave a place like a bar or club

is the sudden termination phrase used for relationships and dismissals
to break with
vsto give the bounce
23 4.1

End a relationship with someone or something in a clear, final way

is similarly decisive but used more generally and informally
to give (someone) the boot
vsto give the bounce
  • Informal
12 7.4

To stop someone from working at their job, usually because of bad work or behavior

applies sudden termination to relationships and other associations too
to kick someone to the curb
vsto give the bounce
  • Informal
12 9.4

Suddenly stop seeing or talking to someone

is the general sudden termination phrase used in many contexts
to send packing
vsto give the bounce
  • Informal
8 6.5

To make someone leave quickly to show they are not wanted

is the broader sudden termination not limited to forcing out
to kick to the curb
vsto give the bounce
  • Informal
7 8.6

Get rid of someone or something you no longer want

is a sudden termination that applies to ties beyond usefulness
to give the heave-ho
vsto give the bounce
  • Informal
4 8.5

To tell someone to leave their job or to stop using something

is the common abrupt ending for relationships or associations
to send someone packing
vsto give the bounce
  • Informal
4 7.9

Make someone leave quickly and forcefully

is a general sudden ending used for many relationship types
to kick-out
vsto give the bounce
1 4.0

To force someone to leave a place, group or job

is a sudden ending that also covers personal relationships
to give the elbow
vsto give the bounce
  • UK
9.0

To end a relationship or stop someone from working for you

is a sudden ending used broadly across relationships and dismissals
to give the gate
vsto give the bounce
  • UK
9.9

To end a relationship or job suddenly and harshly

is the general sudden termination applied across roles and ties
to give the axe
vsto give the bounce
  • UK
7.4

To suddenly end someone's job or a relationship, often without warning

is the broader sudden termination used beyond just jobs
to give the mitten
vsto give the bounce
  • Archaic
9.9

To end a relationship with a boyfriend or girlfriend

is the general sudden termination not limited to romance

Antonyms

to continue
586 1.0

To stay in the same job or role

to reconcile
38 5.1

To become friendly again after a disagreement

How Abrupt

to give the heave-ho
  • Informal
4 8.5
to give the bounce
  • UK
9.7
to sack
  • UK
37 3.5
to let go
852 3.8
to dismiss
70 3.3

Surface Forms

give the bounce infinitive
gave the bounce past
given the bounce past participle
giving the bounce present participle
gives the bounce third person singular

Morphology

give + the + bounce

The overall sense of causing someone to be ejected or dismissed can be inferred from 'give' (to cause or hand over) plus 'bounce' (to eject/remove), so a learner who knows the constituents could plausibly guess the meaning. However, the expression is somewhat colloquial and relies on a nominalized use of 'bounce' and an idiomatic 'give the X' pattern that is not fully predictable cross-linguistically, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Give the bounce may come from the image of a club bouncer who makes someone bounce out the door. If someone is made to bounce, they are forced to leave, so give and bounce together came to mean 'to dismiss' or 'to end' a relationship quickly.