1.
aftershock; secondary tremor
A secondary earthquake tremor that follows the main quake, swinging the ground back.
大きな地震の後に揺り戻しがあった。
There were aftershocks after the big earthquake.
揺り戻しに注意してください。
Please be careful of aftershocks.
余震や揺り戻しに備えて避難を続けた。
We continued to take shelter in preparation for aftershocks and secondary tremors.
2.
rebound; backlash; swing back; reaction
A return swing or counter-reaction following a major change or trend. Used figuratively for social, political, or economic reversals.
改革に対する揺り戻しが起きた。
A backlash against the reforms occurred.
株価の急落の後、揺り戻しで少し回復した。
After the sharp drop in stock prices, there was a slight recovery on the rebound.
急速な変化の後には、必ず揺り戻しがくるものだ。
After rapid changes, a swing back always comes.
Literally "swing back" from 揺る (to shake) + 戻す (to return). The physical image of a pendulum swinging back underlies both the seismological and figurative meanings.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 揺り戻しが来る: a rebound/backlash comes
- 揺り戻しが起きる: a rebound/backlash occurs
- 揺り戻しに注意: beware of aftershocks / backlash
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 余震: aftershock (seismological) — the standard technical term for earthquake aftershocks, while 揺り戻し is more descriptive and also extends to figurative use
- 反動: reaction, recoil — similar figurative meaning of counter-reaction, but emphasizes the force of opposition rather than the swinging-back motion
- リバウンド: rebound (loanword) — commonly used for weight regain after dieting, while 揺り戻し covers broader social and political reversals