reject

verb

re·ject | \ri-ˈjekt

rejected; rejecting; rejects

Definition of reject

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : to refuse to accept, consider, submit to, take for some purpose, or use rejected the suggestion reject a manuscript

b : to refuse to hear, receive, or admit : rebuff, repel parents who reject their children

c : to refuse as lover or spouse

2 obsolete : to cast off

3 : throw back, repulse

4 : to spew out

5 : to subject to immunological rejection

reject

noun

re·ject | \ˈrē-ˌjekt

Definition of reject (Entry 2 of 2)

: a rejected person or thing especially : one rejected as not wanted, unsatisfactory, or not fulfilling requirements

Other Words from reject Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about reject

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Other Words from reject

Verb

rejecter or rejector \ri-ˈjek-tər

\ noun

rejectingly \ri-ˈjek-tiŋ-lē

\ adverb

rejective \ri-ˈjek-tiv

\ adjective

Choose the Right Synonym for reject

Verb

decline, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn mean to turn away by not accepting, receiving, or considering. decline often implies courteous refusal especially of offers or invitations. declined his party's nomination refuse suggests more positiveness or ungraciousness and often implies the denial of something asked for. refused to lend them the money reject implies a peremptory refusal by sending away or discarding. rejected the manuscript as unpublishable repudiate implies a casting off or disowning as untrue, unauthorized, or unworthy of acceptance. teenagers who repudiate the values of their parents spurn stresses contempt or disdain in rejection or repudiation. spurned his overtures of friendship

Examples of reject in a Sentence

Verb

My teacher rejected my excuse for being late. The committee rejected my proposal. The produce inspector rejected several crates of berries that had begun to grow mold. The college rejects hundreds of applicants each year. We rejected 5 of the 10 job applicants right away.

Noun

Stack the promising applications here, and put the rejects over there. was the school reject as a child and has low self-esteem even today

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

This was the first time in 23 years the committee rejected the choice by a prime minister. — Jewish Journal, "Herzog to replace Sharansky as head of the Jewish Agency," 26 June 2018 If the Senate rejects Bevin's choice, the governor would have to appoint someone else. — Morgan Watkins, The Courier-Journal, "Bevin gets to pick John Schnatter's replacement on U of L board," 13 July 2018 Federal officials had sought to modify a long-standing legal settlement that limited the amount of time children can be held in immigration detention, but another federal judge rejected that request too. — Maya Rhodan, Time, "For the Trump Administration, Reuniting Migrant Families Proves Easier Said Than Done," 12 July 2018 If the Senate rejects a second nominee, then the president will have to nominate a new acting administrator (Climatewire, June 25). — Niina Heikkinen, Scientific American, "Environmental Advocates Will Keep Pressure on Pruitt's Successor at EPA," 6 July 2018 On Monday, a federal judge in Los Angeles rejected the Justice Department’s request to modify a long-standing legal settlement outlining how long immigrant minors may be detained. — Brittny Mejia, latimes.com, "Trump administration reunites just over half of migrant children under 5 with parents, says others are 'ineligible'," 12 July 2018 For the first time in his career, Kennedy sided in favor of affirmative action in a 2016 case in which the Court rejected a challenge to a race-conscious admissions program at the University of Texas at Austin. — CBS News, "Judge Brett Kavanaugh named Trump's second Supreme Court justice - live updates," 9 July 2018 This movie, representing Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, stars Ellen Page as a Texas teenager who rejects her mother’s beauty-pageant dreams in favor of roller derbies. MAMMA MIA! (2008) 8:30 on NBC. — Gabe Cohn, New York Times, "What’s on TV Saturday: ‘Baby Driver’ and ‘Short Term 12’," 14 July 2018 The District joins a handful of jurisdictions that have rejected a practice deemed discriminatory against the poor. — James Hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: GOP candidates caught in a bind on Medicaid," 13 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In a nation obsessed with soccer, most of the 84 members are rejects from their school teams. — Matt Blomberg, latimes.com, "There's a reason that the soccer team rescued from a cave in Thailand was so tough and resilient," 11 July 2018 Sometimes the fruit and vegetables aren’t aesthetic rejects. — Rick Barrett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Produce that looks funny but tastes the same will be sold in Milwaukee at discounted prices," 15 June 2018 Here’s a list of five that impressed the judges — Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Mel B and Howie Mandel — enough to earn a trip to the next round, and a bonus reject. — Bill Keveney, USA TODAY, "'America's Got Talent:' The 5 craziest auditions, plus that just-too-weird reject," 19 June 2018 The bag, which is a reject, is symbolic of the type of follow-through that has grown this tiny local golf bag company into world renowned provider of high-quality premium products. — Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, "This small Louisville leather shop makes golf bags for the president," 31 May 2018 The Golden Knights like to see themselves as a bunch of rejects who carry a chip on their collective shoulders because they were discarded and doomed to the cruel fate of playing for an expansion team. — Helene Elliott, latimes.com, "Vegas’ latest show-stopper puts the Golden Knights one win away from a berth in Stanley Cup Final," 19 May 2018 The four rejects who do the best will move back into the house. — Joey Guerra, Houston Chronicle, "'America's Next Top Model' recap: Throwback tarantulas and salty models," 28 Mar. 2018 The house was quickly cast into the reject pile, as the couple resumed the search but found nothing. — Scott Sowers, miamiherald, "Pulling together a split-level | Miami Herald," 8 Mar. 2018 Its rooms were piled with boxes of yard-sale rejects, random envelopes of family photos and other assorted flotsom and jetsom of memorabilia. — Lauren Ritchie, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Howey mansion is '95 percent restored' by $600K investment over seven months," 2 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'reject.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Phrases Related to reject

rejection letter

Statistics for reject

Last Updated

12 Oct 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for reject

The first known use of reject was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for reject

reject

verb

English Language Learners Definition of reject

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to refuse to believe, accept, or consider (something)

: to decide not to publish (something) or make (something) available to the public because it is not good enough

: to refuse to allow (someone) to join a club, to attend a school, etc.

reject

noun

English Language Learners Definition of reject (Entry 2 of 2)

: something that is not good enough for some purpose : something that cannot be used or accepted

: a person who is not accepted or liked by other people

See the full definition for reject in the English Language Learners Dictionary

reject

verb

re·ject | \ri-ˈjekt

rejected; rejecting

Kids Definition of reject

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to refuse to accept, believe, or consider Dad rejected my excuse. He rejected their offer.

reject

noun

re·ject | \ˈrē-ˌjekt

Kids Definition of reject (Entry 2 of 2)

: a person or thing not accepted as good enough for some purpose

reject

transitive verb

re·ject | \ri-ˈjekt

Medical Definition of reject

1 : to rebuff, repel, refuse to hear, or withhold love from especially : to communicate negative feelings toward and a wish to be free of parents who reject their children