reject

1 of 2

verb

re·​ject ri-ˈjekt How to pronounce reject (audio)
rejected; rejecting; rejects
Synonyms of rejectnext

transitive verb

1
a
: to refuse to accept, consider, submit to, take for some purpose, or use
rejected the suggestion
reject a manuscript
b
: to refuse to hear, receive, or admit : rebuff, repel
parents who reject their children
c
: to refuse as lover or spouse
2
obsolete : to cast off
3
: throw back, repulse
4
: to spew out
5
: to subject to immunological rejection
rejecter noun
or rejector
ri-ˈjek-tər How to pronounce reject (audio)
rejectingly
ri-ˈjek-tiŋ-lē How to pronounce reject (audio)
adverb
rejective
ri-ˈjek-tiv How to pronounce reject (audio)
adjective

reject

2 of 2

noun

re·​ject ˈrē-ˌjekt How to pronounce reject (audio)
: a rejected person or thing
especially : one rejected as not wanted, unsatisfactory, or not fulfilling requirements

Synonyms

Verb

Noun

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

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 reject in a Sentence

Verb My teacher rejected my excuse for being late. The committee rejected my proposal. The produce inspector rejected several crates of berries that had begun to grow mold. The college rejects hundreds of applicants each year. We rejected 5 of the 10 job applicants right away. Noun Stack the promising applications here, and put the rejects over there. was the school reject as a child and has low self-esteem even today
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Judges, including Republican-leaning ones appointed by Trump, overwhelmingly rejected those arguments. —USA TODAY, 27 Apr. 2024 Hezbollah flatly rejected the idea of redeploying from its southern-Lebanese heartland. —Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for reject 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reject.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Latin rejectus, past participle of reicere, from re- + jacere to throw — more at jet

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

circa 1555, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reject was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near reject

rejd

reject

rejectable

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Reject.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reject. Accessed 3 May. 2024.

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Kids Definition

reject

1 of 2 verb
re·​ject ri-ˈjekt How to pronounce reject (audio)
1
: to refuse to admit, believe, or receive
2
: to throw away as useless or unsatisfactory
3
: to refuse to grant or consider
4
: to cause the rejection of by the immune system
the body of the patient started to reject the transplanted heart

reject

2 of 2 noun
re·​ject ˈrē-ˌjekt How to pronounce reject (audio)
: a rejected person or thing

Medical Definition

reject

transitive verb
re·​ject ri-ˈjekt How to pronounce reject (audio)
1
: to rebuff, repel, refuse to hear, or withhold love from
especially : to communicate negative feelings toward and a wish to be free of
parents who reject their children
2
: to subject to immunological rejection
rejected a heart transplant
rejective
ri-ˈjek-tiv How to pronounce reject (audio)
adjective

Legal Definition

reject

transitive verb
re·​ject ri-ˈjekt How to pronounce reject (audio)
: to refuse to accept, acknowledge, or grant compare revoke

More from Merriam-Webster on reject

Nglish: Translation of reject for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of reject for Arabic Speakers

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