reject
rih-JEHKT
Reject (verb) means to refuse to accept, believe, or agree to something. Example: “Voters chose to reject the proposal to close the village library.”
verb
1
To refuse to accept, believe, or agree to something.
"Voters chose to reject the proposal to close the village library."
"The publisher rejected the manuscript after only one read."
"She rejected his apology and walked away."
noun
1
A person or item that has been turned down or discarded.
"He felt like a reject after being left out of every team."
"The shop sells misprinted mugs as rejects at half the normal cost."
"The factory sells its rejects at a discount."
How to use reject
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo turn something down, or a thing/person that has been turned down.
When to use it
Calling a person "a reject" is informal and can be insulting.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
reject an offer
reject a proposal
social reject
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Word forms
- Plural
- rejects
- Third person singular
- rejects
- Past tense
- rejected
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Voters chose to _____ the proposal to close the village library.
Etymology
From Latin reicere, "to throw back," from re- ("back") plus iacere ("to throw").
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for reject
See all rhymes for reject →Frequently asked questions
What does “reject” mean?
The word “reject” means to refuse to accept, believe, or agree to something. In plain terms, to turn something down, or a thing/person that has been turned down.
How do you pronounce “reject”?
“Reject” is pronounced rih-JEHKT (/ɹɪˈd͡ʒɛkt/ in IPA).
How do you use “reject” in a sentence?
Here is “reject” used in a sentence: “The publisher rejected the manuscript after only one read.”
What is another word for “reject”?
Words with a similar meaning to “reject” include abjure, abnegate, decline, deny, disown and refuse.
What is the opposite of “reject”?
The opposite of “reject” — its antonyms — are accept and take up.
What part of speech is “reject”?
Depending on how it is used, “reject” can be a verb and a noun.
Where does the word “reject” come from?
The word “reject” comes from Latin. From Latin reicere, "to throw back," from re- ("back") plus iacere ("to throw").
Is “reject” a common word?
“Reject” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
What is the difference between reject and decline?
Decline is the softer, more polite word and usually applies to invitations and offers, as in declining a meeting request. Reject is stronger and means to refuse to accept, believe, or agree to something, and it often suggests the thing was considered and firmly turned away, as in rejecting a proposal or an idea.
What is the difference between reject and deny?
To deny something is to declare it untrue or to refuse a request: you deny an accusation or deny someone entry. To reject something is to refuse to accept or agree to it: you reject an offer, a plan, or an argument. A committee can deny your request or reject your application, but only deny works when the meaning is "say it is false."
Is it offensive to call someone a reject?
Yes. As a noun applied to a person, reject is an insult: it labels someone as having been turned down or discarded, for example by a group or team. Applied to objects, as in "factory rejects," it is neutral and simply means items that failed to meet a standard.
What is the difference between reject and refuse?
Both mean saying no, but they behave differently in a sentence: refuse commonly takes a to-infinitive ("she refused to sign"), while reject takes a direct object ("she rejected the contract"). Reject also tends to imply that something offered or proposed was assessed and dismissed, whereas refuse focuses on the act of not doing or not allowing something.
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