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reject

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noun

1
as in outcast
one who is cast out or rejected by society was the school reject as a child and has low self-esteem even today

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in discard
something separated from a group or lot for not being as good as the others that apple has a mushy spot on it, so it's a reject

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word reject different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of reject are decline, refuse, repudiate, and spurn. While all these words mean "to turn away by not accepting, receiving, or considering," reject implies a peremptory refusal by sending away or discarding.

rejected the manuscript as unpublishable

When might decline be a better fit than reject?

While in some cases nearly identical to reject, decline often implies courteous refusal especially of offers or invitations.

declined his party's nomination

When would refuse be a good substitute for reject?

The words refuse and reject are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, refuse suggests more positiveness or ungraciousness and often implies the denial of something asked for.

refused to lend them the money

When could repudiate be used to replace reject?

The meanings of repudiate and reject largely overlap; however, repudiate implies a casting off or disowning as untrue, unauthorized, or unworthy of acceptance.

teenagers who repudiate the values of their parents

When is it sensible to use spurn instead of reject?

Although the words spurn and reject have much in common, spurn stresses contempt or disdain in rejection or repudiation.

spurned his overtures of friendship

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of reject
Verb
Related article Prince Harry Fast Facts The Heritage Foundation has raised questions about Prince Harry’s writings of past recreational drug use in his memoir, since admission of past drug use can be grounds to reject a visa application. Rebekah Riess, CNN, 18 Mar. 2025 Last year, Google had proposed buying Wiz for $23 billion but CEO Assaf Rappaport at the time rejected the offer and said his company would pursue an IPO. Todd Spangler, Variety, 18 Mar. 2025
Noun
Led by the foul-mouthed and fouler-smelling Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), the team of rejects consists of River Cartwright (Jack Lowden), Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung), Louisa Guy (Rosalind Eleazar) and Catherine Standish (Saskia Reeves) among others including newcomer, J.K. Coe (Thomas Brooke). Erik Kain, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024 The true stab here isn’t just that Donald lied to Roy on his deathbed, or that Donald would so callously reject the friend who turned him from an outer-borough reject into a mover and shaker within Manhattan. Constance Grady, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018 See All Example Sentences for reject
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reject
Verb
  • Could a visa holder refusing to refer to the Gulf of America face a similar fate as Khalil?
    Bastiaan Vanacker, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
  • According to Boasberg, Trump's Cabinet secretaries are deciding whether to refuse to provide evidence.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 21 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The original post about Hailey's like has seemingly been removed and the model has denied the allegations through a rep.
    Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Finland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, citing Trump's executive order that the U.S. now only recognizes two sexes, male and female, says if the gender listed on an applicant's passport does not match their gender assigned at birth, their travel permit or visa application can be denied.
    Chandelis Duster, NPR, 22 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • It could have been discarded as a worthwhile punt that just did not work out, but the scrutiny on the transfer increased when Kai Havertz sustained a season-ending hamstring tear in February.
    Jordan Campbell, The Athletic, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Employees had to discard taquitos and hot dog bites that were stored in a broken refrigerator.
    Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 14 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Recent polls have suggested that dissatisfaction with Trump's handling of the economy is a key factor in his declining popularity.
    Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Big Savage Mountain, Bear Pen, and Dan’s Mountain Wildlands all provide valuable habitat for our declining bird populations.
    Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • After the fall of Saul, the once-mighty King of Israel, the prophet Samuel is directed by God to anoint teen outcast David as the new king.
    DeVonne Goode, Parents, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Those capricious moves and bold reversals have fueled the anxiety in the diplomatic corps here in Washington even as allies and outcasts alike are trying to make sense of the moment.
    Philip Elliott, TIME, 11 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • After mulling a proposal from the leaders of the men’s and women’s tennis tours to restructure the sport, the people in charge of the four Grand Slams have sent back a terse rejection that leaves the sport’s future in a state of paralysis.
    Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Vidal emphasized that familial rejection—especially over something so personal and immutable—can have lasting consequences.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • In an interview with CNN, Goldberg refuted that claim.
    Nik Popli, TIME, 25 Mar. 2025
  • The journalist and filmmaker, who is descended from a family that was decimated in the Holocaust, has categorically refuted these accusations.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 24 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • As this happens, the booster stage begins to spiral, simultaneously dumping what remains of its fuel.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 25 Mar. 2025
  • As the upper stage continues towards space, the lower stage falls, spiraling back to Earth, dumping what remains of its fuel.
    Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 25 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Reject.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reject. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

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