A linear compressor is provided that may include a shell including a suction inlet, a cylinder provided in the shell to define a compression space for a refrigerant, a piston reciprocated in an axial direction within the cylinder, a discharge valve provided at a first side of the cylinder to selectively discharge the refrigerant compressed in the compression space, at least one nozzle, through which at least a portion of the refrigerant discharged through the discharge valve flows, the at least one nozzle being disposed in the cylinder, and at least one expansion portion that extends from the at least one nozzle to an inner circumferential surface of the cylinder, the at least one expansion portion having a flow cross-section area greater than a flow cross-section area of the at least one nozzle.