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repercussion

0 antonyms and opposites of repercussion, grouped by meaning.

Noun — A bad result of an action or event, usually one that arrives later and indirectly. Usually plural.

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A bad result of an action or event, usually one that arrives later and indirectly. Usually plural.

“Nobody thought through the repercussions of closing the only bank in town.”

2. noun formal or technical

An echo or reverberation of sound; the act of striking back.

“The repercussion of the shot rolled around the valley.”

echo reverberation resonance

How to Use Repercussion

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

serious repercussions face the repercussions far-reaching repercussions political repercussions

Neutral to formal. Almost always negative — you would not normally speak of happy repercussions.

Etymology

From Latin repercussio, from repercutere 'to strike back', from re- 'back' plus percutere 'to strike'.

Full origin of repercussion →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between repercussion and consequence?

A consequence is any result, good or bad, and often immediate. A repercussion is specifically an unwelcome knock-on effect that spreads outward or turns up later. Winning the lottery has consequences; the tax bill two years on is a repercussion.

What is the difference between repercussions and ramifications?

Ramifications are the branching complications of a decision and can be neutral — they are about complexity. Repercussions are about harm rebounding on someone. A merger has ramifications for the org chart and repercussions for the staff who lose their jobs.

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Synonyms and antonyms from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.