Repercussion — A Vocabulary Story
The Whispering Ledge
On a school trip to the Meteora Monasteries, Suresh trailed behind his classmates, clutching a sketchbook he didn't want anyone to see. Mina, his quietest friend, walked beside him, her braids swinging as the cliffs rose like stone giants around them.
At the edge of a viewing platform, their loud classmate Sergey pretended to push another boy towards the railing. The teacher hadn't seen.
"Stop," Mina said sharply. "If he slipped, the repercussion would be enormous."
Repercussion means an unintended, usually negative consequence felt some time after the original action or event.
Sergey laughed. "Big word. Big deal."
"It is a big deal," Suresh said, surprising himself. "Every silly thing has a repercussion. You shove someone here, the repercussion isn't just detention. Someone could get badly hurt."
The other boy stepped back, pale. Sergey rolled his eyes, but his hands fell to his sides.
Later, inside the monastery, an old caretaker named Anna showed them frescoes darkened by centuries of candle smoke.
"Each flame leaves its mark," she explained. "A small repercussion, repeated for hundreds of years."
Suresh sketched the saints quickly, thinking about how even a small action could leave consequences behind.
When they boarded the coach, Sergey slid into the seat behind him.
"Sorry," he muttered, almost inaudibly. "For earlier."
Suresh nodded. Outside, wind hummed through the rocks, carrying the echo of an apology down into the green valley below.
Word Definition
repercussion
meaning
an unintended, usually negative consequence felt some time after the original action or event
synonyms
backlash · fallout · impact · influence · reverberation
antonyms
cause · helplessness · impotence
example sentence
The repercussions of the decision were felt across the entire industry.