spurn

1 of 2

verb

ˈspərn 

spurned; spurning; spurns

transitive verb

1

: to reject with disdain or contempt : scorn

spurned their offer

2

: to tread sharply or heavily upon : trample

intransitive verb

1

archaic : to reject something disdainfully

2

obsolete

a

: stumble

b

: kick sense 1a

spurner noun

spurn

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: disdainful rejection

b

: contemptuous treatment

2

a

: kick sense 1a

b

obsolete : stumble

Synonyms of spurn

Verb

• refuse
• reject
• decline

Choose the Right Synonym for spurn

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 spurn in a Sentence

Verb

fiercely independent, the elderly couple spurned all offers of financial help

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Labour spurned the chance to tell a positive story about the need to hike taxes to mend Britain’s public services, gutted by years of Conservative austerity. — Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 22 June 2026

Just last week, UniQure announced it was cleared to submit an application for a Huntington’s disease gene therapy that the agency had previously spurned and that former commissioner Marty Makary appeared to disparage on national television. — Jason Mast, STAT, 22 June 2026

In 2024, voters in California and Massachusetts, two of the most leftward-leaning states in the nation, spurned ballot measures that would have resulted in minimum wage increases. — Paxton Honerkamp, CNBC, 21 June 2026

Bo Bichette made his first appearance in Philadelphia since spurning the Phillies to sign with the Mets last offseason. — CBS News, 18 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English spurnan; akin to Old High German spurnan to kick, Latin spernere to spurn, Greek spairein to quiver

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Rhymes for spurn

• berne
• burn
• churn
• dern
• earn
• erne
• fern
• hern
• hirn
• learn
• quern
• terne

Kids Definition

spurn

verb

ˈspərn

: to reject or thrust aside with scorn

spurner noun