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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
News Desk, Artforum, 25 Mar. 2026
The meeting never happened as Exxon lawyers rebuffed the outreach.
—Joshua Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
The meeting never happened as Exxon rebuffed the outreach.
—CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
Others have argued that cooling could be an issue in space, though Musk rebuffed those comments on Saturday.
—Andrea Leinfelder, Houston Chronicle, 23 Mar. 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 31 Mar. 2026.
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