rebuff

verb

re·​buff ri-ˈbəf How to pronounce rebuff (audio)
rebuffed; rebuffing; rebuffs

transitive verb

: to reject or criticize sharply : snub
rebuff noun

Did you know?

Occurring frequently in news articles and headlines, rebuff derives (via Middle French rebuffer) from Old Italian ribuffare, meaning "to reprimand," and ultimately from the imitative verb buffare, meaning "to puff." (You might guess that the verb buff, meaning "to polish," is a buffare descendant, but it is actually unrelated. It is derived from Middle French buffle, meaning "wild ox.") A similar word, rebuke, shares the "criticize" sense of rebuff, but not the "reject" sense (one can rebuke another's actions or policies, but one does not rebuke the advances of another, for example). Like rebuke, rebuff can also be used as a noun, as in "His proposal was met with a stern rebuff from the Board of Trustees."

Examples of rebuff in a Sentence

Our suggestion was immediately rebuffed. The company rebuffed the bid. She rebuffed him when he asked her for a date.
Recent Examples on the Web The White House, for its part, has rebuffed Mr. Putin’s efforts to put the United States at the center of any negotiations about the war in Ukraine. Anton Troianovski, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 The former lawmaker rebuffed offers of a plea deal during the first prosecution attempt that would have limited his time behind bars, but still involved years of prison. The Arizona Republic, 29 Feb. 2024 Some Democrats, including California’s Sen. Alex Padilla, rebuffed the bill as caving to Republican interests. Faith E. Pinho, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 The Biden administration has rebuffed widespread calls for a cease-fire until this point. USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024 The court concluded that there’s no evidence showing that OpenAI intentionally removed such information, rebuffing arguments that the company intentionally designed its training process to obfuscate infringement. Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Feb. 2024 Prosecutors argued that Navarro, acting without an attorney, rebuffed the committee’s request and erroneously relied on a press statement issued by then-President Trump in November 2020 that said Navarro did not have to cooperate with a different committee investigating the pandemic response. Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post, 25 Jan. 2024 Truth rebuffed Mysterio and the Judgment Day by refusing to give him a chair. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 That request was initially rebuffed; yet construction began on what is now known as the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in 1871. Christine Rousselle, Fox News, 11 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rebuff.' 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

Middle French rebuffer, from Old Italian ribuffare to reprimand, from ribuffo reprimand

First Known Use

circa 1586, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rebuff was circa 1586

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Dictionary Entries Near rebuff

Cite this Entry

“Rebuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebuff. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rebuff

1 of 2 verb
re·​buff
ri-ˈbəf
: to refuse or check sharply
the suggestion was rebuffed

rebuff

2 of 2 noun
: a refusal to meet an advance or offer
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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