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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
EW.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Trump briefly cut off aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, but resumed after Zelenskyy agreed to an immediate ceasefire, a call Putin has rebuffed.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 23 Apr. 2025
The White House also did not comment, but some industry advocates say the administration has rebuffed requests for exemptions.
—Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, 22 Apr. 2025
After efforts to pass laws were stalled in Miami-Dade County and then rebuffed last year by the Florida Legislature, which also banned counties from setting their own rules, the last agency actively working on proposals was the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rebuff
Cite this Entry
“Rebuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebuff. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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