Meaning & use
repercussions
Last updated
“repercussions” is a form of “repercussion”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounusually plural
Indirect and often unwelcome results that follow from an action or event, sometimes appearing long afterward.
Grammar: Usually plural, followed by for or of: repercussions for the company.
Patterns
- repercussions for someone
- repercussions of something
- repercussions on something
The sudden decision had serious repercussions for the whole town.
She never imagined the repercussions of sharing the photo.
Cutting funding may have repercussions on schools for years.
Word forms
| singular | repercussion |
|---|
Common combinations
- serious repercussions
- Breaking the contract could bring serious repercussions.
- face the repercussions
- He must face the repercussions of his lie.
- far-reaching repercussions
- The ruling had far-reaching repercussions.
- repercussions for someone
- There will be repercussions for anyone who cheats.
- political repercussions
- The scandal had political repercussions across the country.
Synonyms and how they differ
- consequences
- The everyday and neutral word; repercussions suggests knock-on effects that are often negative and less direct.
- aftermath
- Describes the situation after a disaster or event, while repercussions focus on what is caused by it.
- fallout
- More informal and dramatic, usually about damage after a scandal or crisis.
- ramifications
- Stresses complicated branching effects and sounds more formal.
Opposites
Word family
- repercussion noun
- one such result
- percussion noun
- the striking of instruments such as drums
- reverberate verb
- to echo or have lasting effects
Commonly confused: repercussions or percussions?
repercussions vs percussions
Percussion refers to drums and similar instruments; it is a different word with a different sense.
Practice
The company ignored the warnings and now faces the ___ of its choice.
Choose one answer.
Repercussions are the unwanted results of a choice. The other words look similar but do not fit the meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “repercussions”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.