reject
verb
\
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
\
Definition of reject (Entry 2 of 2)
: a rejected person or thing especially : one rejected as not wanted, unsatisfactory, or not fulfilling requirements
Keep scrolling for more
Other words from reject
Verb
\
noun
\
adverb
\
adjective
Synonyms & Antonyms for reject
Synonyms: Verb
balk (at), decline, disapprove, negative, nix, pass, pass up, refuse, reprobate, repudiate, spurn, throw out, throw over, turn down
Synonyms: Noun
cull, discard, rejection, second
Antonyms: Verb
Visit the Thesaurus for More
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
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 The judge deferred to federal marshals, who rejected the request. — Guillermo Contreras, San Antonio Express-News, "S.A. man who carjacked and shot postal worker gets 20 years for crime spree," 12 July 2018 In June, the Taliban accepted a three-day cease-fire over the Eid al-Fitr holiday that caps the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, a first for the group, but rejected a subsequent government call to extend it. — Rahim Faiez, Fox News, "Peace in Afghanistan more elusive as Taliban shrug off talks," 11 July 2018 The two are members of the Followers of Christ church, a small religious group that rejects medical care in favor of faith-healing. — Alexia Fernandez, PEOPLE.com, "Faith Healer Parents Plead Guilty in the Death of Baby After They Chose Prayer Over Medical Help," 10 July 2018 Hawkins is the black Okahumpka educator who fought for nine years to open the University of Florida’s law school to people of color after he was rejected in 1949. — Lauren Ritchie, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Lake County owes Virgil Hawkins recognition and a thank you for role in civil rights struggle," 12 July 2018Recent 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. 2018These 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.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
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
\
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
\
Kids Definition of reject (Entry 2 of 2)
: a person or thing not accepted as good enough for some purpose
reject
transitive verb
\
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
2 : to subject to immunological rejection rejected a heart transplant
Other words from reject
\
adjective
Keep scrolling for more
reject
transitive verb
\
Legal Definition of reject
: to refuse to accept, acknowledge, or grant — compare revoke
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on reject
What made you want to look up reject? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Name that Food Quiz
-
- Name these cookies!
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share reject
Resources for reject