recoil

verb

• 1suddenly spring or flinch back in fear, horror, or disgust:he recoiled in horror
• feel fear, horror, or disgust at the thought of something:Ronni felt herself recoil at the very thought

• 2rebound or spring back through force of impact or elasticity:the muscle has the ability to recoil
• (of a gun) move abruptly backwards as a reaction on firing a bullet, shell, or other missile: the rifle recoiled
• (recoil on/upon) (of an action) have an adverse reactive effect on (the originator): if man upsets his planetary ecosystem it will automatically recoil upon him

noun

• the action of recoiling:his body jerked with the recoil of the rifle