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

If Sears had rejected Mr. Lampert’s bid, there would have been no auction and Sears would have begun to liquidate. — Lillian Rizzo And Patrick Fitzgerald, WSJ, "Sears Gets Another Life Line: Lampert’s $4.4 Billion Offer Is Still Alive," 8 Jan. 2019 Developments such as the dada art movement, a reaction to the insanity of the war that rejected logic, embraced irrationality and scorned nationalism, also provide a framework for modern understanding of the widespread effects on society. — Chuck Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "What You Need To Know Before Watching "They Shall Not Grow Old"," 28 Dec. 2018 The EU Withdrawal Act, which incorporates Brexit into UK law, requires the prime minister to give an update on Brexit by January 21 if her deal is rejected or if talks with the European Union break down. — Jen Kirby, Vox, "Theresa May is seeking a lifeline from the EU after Brexit deal chaos," 11 Dec. 2018 In another sign of the government’s weakness, lawmakers also passed an amendment giving Parliament more say over the government’s next steps if the assembly rejects the divorce deal in a vote set for Dec. 11. — Raf Casert, The Seattle Times, "UK Parliament delivers rebuke to government over Brexit," 4 Dec. 2018 Though North Dakota voters rejected a push for recreational marijuana, the results are further evidence of growing support for easing marijuana restrictions. — Angela Chen, The Verge, "Three states vote in favor of marijuana," 7 Nov. 2018 The children of the Queen's only daughter, Princess Anne, do not have titles, as Anne and her ex-husband, Captain Mark Phillips, rejected the Queen's offer to give their children titles. — Temi Adebowale, Harper's BAZAAR, "Here's What Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's Future Children's Titles Will Be," 2 Oct. 2018 According to a report by the Congressional Research Service, the Judiciary Committee has voted seven times to recommend that the Senate reject a Supreme Court nomination. — Stacey Leasca, Glamour, "Will the Senate Judiciary Committee Vote to Move Brett Kavanaugh Towards the Supreme Court?," 28 Sep. 2018 The United States isn't one of them, though a recent ruling in a federal court in Colorado this month concluded that the U.S. State Department can't reject a passport application if the traveler chooses not to select a gender. — Bridget Hallinan, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Outdated Gender Norms You Encounter When Booking Your Plane Ticket," 27 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

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 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

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

19 Jan 2019

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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

2 : to subject to immunological rejection rejected a heart transplant