spurn

1 of 2

verb

ˈspərn How to pronounce spurn (audio)
spurned; spurning; spurns
Synonyms of spurnnext

transitive verb

1
: to reject with disdain or contempt : scorn
2
: to tread sharply or heavily upon : trample

intransitive verb

1
archaic : to reject something disdainfully
2
obsolete
a
: stumble
b
: kick sense 1a
spurner noun

spurn

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: disdainful rejection
b
: contemptuous treatment
2
a
: kick sense 1a
b
obsolete : stumble

Synonyms

Verb

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for spurn

decline, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn mean to turn away by not accepting, receiving, or considering.

decline often implies courteous refusal especially of offers or invitations.

declined his party's nomination

refuse suggests more positiveness or ungraciousness and often implies the denial of something asked for.

refused to lend them the money

reject implies a peremptory refusal by sending away or discarding.

rejected the manuscript as unpublishable

repudiate implies a casting off or disowning as untrue, unauthorized, or unworthy of acceptance.

teenagers who repudiate the values of their parents

spurn stresses contempt or disdain in rejection or repudiation.

spurned his overtures of friendship

Examples of spurn in a Sentence

Verb fiercely independent, the elderly couple spurned all offers of financial help
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Poolman—an indie movie flop directed by and starring Chris Pine that was spurned by critics—is coming soon to Hulu. —Tim Lammers, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 The conference took a swing at trying to add American Athletic Conference programs Memphis, Tulane and South Florida but was spurned on Monday afternoon. —Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 23 Sep. 2024 This after Karen has spurned Victoria’s invitation to come work with her. —Mark Holgate, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2024 Andreessen exists on a spectrum of wealthy Silicon Valley financiers who have, to greater and lesser degrees, spurned the left, if not thrown in with the right. —Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for spurn 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English spurnan; akin to Old High German spurnan to kick, Latin spernere to spurn, Greek spairein to quiver

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of spurn was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near spurn

spurling pipe

spurn

spurnwater

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Spurn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spurn. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

spurn

verb
ˈspərn
: to reject or thrust aside with scorn
spurner noun

More from Merriam-Webster on spurn

Nglish: Translation of spurn for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of spurn for Arabic Speakers

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