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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
David Brennan, ABC News, 23 Jan. 2026
Danes and Greenlanders quickly rebuffed the offer at the time.
—Steven Lamy, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
Moscow is, so far, rebuffing its peace entreaties over Ukraine.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
His rival in the 2006 campaign, Phil Angelides, had sought equal time, but was rebuffed.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 21 Jan. 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 25 Jan. 2026.
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