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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
Although the Duke of Sussex had offered to cover the costs of security, the bid was rejected. Simon Perry, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025 The case has been assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who twice rejected Trump’s effort to move his hush money criminal case from New York state court to federal court, a gambit aimed at advancing his presidential immunity claims. Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 8 Apr. 2025
Noun
Instead of letting the weird baking mixes or seasonings go to waste, team up with your partner or roommates and make an Iron Chef style meal of the rejects. Grace McCarty, SELF, 28 Dec. 2024 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 See All Example Sentences for reject
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reject
Verb
  • Instead, block unwanted calls and messages and refuse to provide financial information in response to an unexpected request.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Noboa refused to recognize Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela after his staged 2024 election and is also committed to fighting criminal gangs with all available resources to restore peace and security in Ecuador.
    Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • An immigration judge denied her bond request Wednesday, citing her as a flight risk and danger to the community.
    Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Citing information from an informant who officials have said is credible, the Department of Homeland Security has alleged that Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang, a claim his family and attorneys deny.
    Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The life of a child in the mother’s womb, as well as the lives of the elderly and the sick, who in more and more countries are looked upon as people to be discarded.
    Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
  • The life of a child in the mother's womb, as well as the lives of the elderly and the sick, who in more and more countries are looked upon as people to be discarded.
    NPR Staff, NPR, 21 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • County officials declined to comment on the civil lawsuit.
    USA Today, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The hospital declined to say whether Ikner was one of their patients.
    Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 19 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Mary Magdalene, as the patron saint of outcasts, seemed to draw them in, welcoming skeptics like me to make room in our minds for more complex possibilities.
    Eliza Griswold, New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Despite the newfound enthusiasm around drugs like psilocybin, MDMA, and even high-octane, super-psychedelic compounds like 5-MEO-DMT, LSD remains something of an outcast.
    John Semley, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Their firm rejection of federal government conditions also emphasizes autonomy's critical role in organizational health.
    Dan Pontefract, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
  • The 6-foot-11 big man is logging averages of 19.2 points, 10.4 boards, 4.9 dimes, 1.1 swipes and 0.8 rejections across his 75 available contests.
    David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • However reps of his team refuted the statement to Us Weekly.
    Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 17 Apr. 2025
  • But two witnesses refuted his story, alleging Stribling tried to hide evidence.
    Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Last week brought a frenzied trading session in the bond markets as investors dumped bonds overnight—sending the 30-year Treasury yield briefly above 5 percent.
    Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Atmospheric rivers out West also tend to dump their heaviest rain over the open water in the Pacific, because the storms they’re associated with typically peak in strength there.
    Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 18 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Reject.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reject. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

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