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

That trend appears set to continue, as Sky Sports state that Chelsea remain keen to keep Willian around for next season, so rejecting the bids was not a tough decision. — SI.com, "Report: Chelsea Rejects Atletico Madrid, Barcelona's £35M Willian Bids," 18 June 2019 The board would have up to 5 months to make a funding recommendation to the HHS secretary, who can accept or reject the advice. — David Malakoff, Science | AAAS, "House Democrats move to block part of Trump’s fetal tissue policy," 13 June 2019 Sanders, who ascended to the press secretary role in July of 2017, after the brief and peevish tenure of Sean Spicer, publicly rejected that idea. — Megan Garber, The Atlantic, "Sarah Sanders Broke the News," 13 June 2019 In the Codex Leicester, Leonardo investigates how water makes its way to mountaintops, ultimately rejecting his initial conviction that heat draws it upward. — Claudia Kalb, National Geographic, "Why Leonardo da Vinci’s brilliance endures, 500 years after his death," 12 June 2019 Democrats say the larger issue is that the White House is almost completely rejecting congressional oversight – stonewalling requests for documents and blocking witnesses from testifying on various subjects. — John Wagner, The Denver Post, "Trump asserts executive privilege to shield documents on Census citizenship question," 12 June 2019 When his idea was rejected, Anderson created his own award: the Polar Music Prize. — Fred Bronson, Billboard, "Grandmaster Flash, Anne-Sophie Mutter & Playing for Change Founders Receive Polar Music Prize in Sweden," 11 June 2019 This application, submitted to the City Council of Sant Martí de Provençals (a local neighborhood), included a blueprint signed by Gaudí, but as Barcelona officials told press, was never recorded as being granted or rejected. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "137 Years After Construction Began, La Sagrada Familia Receives Building Permit," 10 June 2019 The initial response from the representatives of protesters was to reject this call. — Adem K Abebe, Quartz Africa, "In Sudan, the African Union reminds us it still has a key role in tackling the continent’s crises," 7 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Donald Trump, the slumlord turned reality television reject currently occupying 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. — Kirsten West Savali, Essence, "White Supremacist In-Chief Refuses To Apologize To Exonerated Five," 18 June 2019 So, men that have had it in their genital area and any of their limbs have been kind of suffering in silence and kind of feeling like a reject in a sense. — Molly Longman, refinery29.com, "The Bachelorette’s Cam On Lymphedema, The ‘Pity Rose,’ And His Catchphrase," 5 June 2019 Auto-parts maker O&K American says its reject rate for Japanese steel is 0.001% compared to 0.174% for U.S. supplies. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Trump’s Political Tariff Bureaucracy," 6 Aug. 2018 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

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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Last Updated

22 Jun 2019

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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

2 : to subject to immunological rejection rejected a heart transplant