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Many English verbs begin with the prefix re-, meaning “again” or “backward,” so we wouldn’t criticize you for drawing a connection between rebuff and buff, a verb meaning “to polish or shine.” But rebuff would beg to differ: this word comes to us from the Middle French verb rebuffer, which traces back to the Old Italian ribuffare, meaning “to reprimand.” (Buff, in contrast, comes from the Middle French noun 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 “The proposal was met with a stern rebuff from the Board of Trustees.”
Examples of rebuff in a Sentence
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2026
Several teams over the years have made overtures for Kessler in potential trade talks, talks the Jazz had rebuffed.
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Tony Jones,
New York Times,
1 July 2026
But even after being repeatedly rebuffed David Ellison refused to give up, and ultimately his Paramount Skydance outbid Netflix with an $111 billion offer for the entirety of WBD.
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Todd Spangler,
Variety,
30 June 2026
At its best, the film rebuffs standard-issue 1950s heteronormativity, validating queerness at a moment when the Motion Picture Production Code forbade explicit reference to it.
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Liam Hess,
Vogue,
28 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for rebuff
Cite this Entry
“Rebuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebuff. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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