Synonyms of reject

reject 1 of 3

verb (1)

ri-ˈjekt 

1

as in to refuse

to be unwilling to grant

rejected his request for time off

Synonyms & Similar Words

• refuse
• deny
• decline
• disapprove
• withhold
• disallow
• negative
• forbid
• prohibit
• veto
• restrict
• reprobate
• nix
• keep
• proscribe
• enjoin
• spurn
• ban
• restrain
• repel
• check
• hold
• rebuff
• constrain
• curb
• repress
• hinder
• impede
• obstruct
• balk (at)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• let
• permit
• allow
• grant
• concede
• provide
• okay
• give
• afford
• furnish
• OK
• supply
• authorize
• acquiesce
• agree (to)
• license
• warrant
• consent (to)
• commission
• accede (to)
• assent (to)
• sanction
• accord
• licence
• vouchsafe

2

as in to deny

to declare not to be true

I reject the claim that I have ever lied about that

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deny
• refute
• contradict
• disavow
• disallow
• disown
• repudiate
• negate
• disclaim
• disaffirm
• gainsay
• negative
• disconfirm
• disprove
• traverse
• rebut
• challenge
• disagree (with)
• dispute
• confute

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• acknowledge
• accept
• allow
• admit
• confirm
• concede
• own
• adopt
• embrace
• submit
• maintain
• claim
• declare
• assert
• affirm
• announce
• avow
• profess
• verify
• espouse
• validate
• substantiate
• aver
• corroborate
• authenticate

3

as in to discard

to get rid of as useless or unwanted

sorted through the nuts and rejected any that had cracked shells or were shattered

Synonyms & Similar Words

• discard
• dump
• ditch
• unload
• lose
• abandon
• scrap
• jettison
• remove
• shed
• dismiss
• toss
• exorcize
• exorcise
• chuck
• eliminate
• cast (off)
• junk
• slough (off)
• throw away
• set aside
• shuck (off)
• dispose of
• fling (off or away)
• lay by
• throw out
• sluff (off)
• deep-six
• forsake
• cashier
• abolish
• abdicate
• 86
• pitch
• eighty-six
• eradicate
• desert
• kick out
• expunge
• exterminate
• wipe out
• extirpate
• annihilate
• extinguish
• liquidate
• stamp (out)
• root (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• adopt
• embrace
• use
• take on
• employ
• utilize
• retain
• hold
• keep
• hold back

4

as in to decline

to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to

rejected his marriage proposal

Synonyms & Similar Words

• refuse
• decline
• ignore
• deny
• dismiss
• spurn
• pass
• disapprove
• withdraw
• avoid
• repudiate
• veto
• dispute
• forbid
• pass up
• deselect
• balk (at)
• turn down
• throw over
• negative
• throw out
• nix
• reprobate
• overrule
• renounce
• rebuff
• prohibit
• disdain
• proscribe
• disavow
• revoke
• retract
• scorn
• refute
• contradict
• turn one's back on
• blow off
• scout
• refrain (from)
• disclaim
• gainsay
• forbear
• abjure
• shoot down
• disown
• abstain (from)
• forswear
• recall
• foreswear
• recant
• disprove
• negate
• disallow
• bypass
• take back
• controvert
• stick
• rebut
• disagree (with)
• unsay
• renege
• backtrack
• detour
• back down
• back off

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• accept
• approve
• agree (to)
• receive
• tolerate
• adopt
• swallow
• take
• embrace
• condone
• welcome
• agree
• acquiesce
• choose
• accede
• select
• countenance
• consent
• assent
• support
• espouse
• handpick

reject

2 of 3

noun

ˈrē-ˌjekt 

1

as in outcast

one who is cast out or rejected by society

was the school reject as a child and has low self-esteem even today

Synonyms & Similar Words

• outcast
• castoff
• castaway
• pariah
• leper
• exile
• outsider
• offscouring
• untouchable
• deportee

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• insider

2

as in discard

something separated from a group or lot for not being as good as the others

that apple has a mushy spot on it, so it's a reject

Synonyms & Similar Words

• discard
• rejection
• second
• cull
• rubbish
• trash
• waste
• scrap
• throwaway
• castaway
• white elephant
• hand-me-down

rejecting

3 of 3

verb (2)

present participle of reject

1

as in denying

to be unwilling to grant

rejected his request for time off

Synonyms & Similar Words

• denying
• refusing
• declining
• withholding
• disallowing
• disapproving
• forbidding
• prohibiting
• nixing
• vetoing
• restricting
• reprobating
• keeping
• banning
• proscribing
• negativing
• enjoining
• spurning
• restraining
• checking
• holding
• rebuffing
• repelling
• curbing
• constraining
• repressing
• obstructing
• impeding
• hindering
• balking (at)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• granting
• letting
• permitting
• providing
• allowing
• conceding
• supplying
• giving
• furnishing
• affording
• authorizing
• okaying
• acquiescing
• commissioning
• licensing
• according
• warranting
• agreeing (to)
• OK'ing
• consenting (to)
• sanctioning
• acceding (to)
• assenting (to)
• licencing
• vouchsafing

2

as in refuting

to declare not to be true

I reject the claim that I have ever lied about that

Synonyms & Similar Words

• denying
• refuting
• contradicting
• disallowing
• disavowing
• repudiating
• negating
• disclaiming
• disowning
• disconfirming
• disaffirming
• traversing
• gainsaying
• negativing
• disproving
• rebutting
• challenging
• disputing
• disagreeing (with)
• confuting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• acknowledging
• admitting
• confirming
• allowing
• accepting
• owning
• adopting
• conceding
• embracing
• maintaining
• submitting
• claiming
• declaring
• asserting
• affirming
• announcing
• avowing
• professing
• espousing
• validating
• verifying
• averring
• corroborating
• substantiating
• authenticating

3

as in discarding

to get rid of as useless or unwanted

sorted through the nuts and rejected any that had cracked shells or were shattered

Synonyms & Similar Words

• discarding
• dumping
• ditching
• unloading
• losing
• abandoning
• jettisoning
• scrapping
• shedding
• removing
• tossing
• dismissing
• exorcising
• eliminating
• chucking
• casting (off)
• junking
• exorcizing
• sloughing (off)
• flinging (off or away)
• throwing away
• shucking (off)
• disposing of
• laying by
• deep-sixing
• forsaking
• setting aside
• throwing out
• eighty-sixing
• sluffing (off)
• 86ing
• abdicating
• abolishing
• pitching
• cashiering
• deserting
• eradicating
• expunging
• kicking out
• extirpating
• extinguishing
• exterminating
• annihilating
• wiping out
• liquidating
• stamping (out)
• rooting (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• adopting
• embracing
• using
• employing
• utilizing
• holding
• taking on
• retaining
• keeping
• holding back

4

as in refusing

to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to

rejected his marriage proposal

Synonyms & Similar Words

• refusing
• declining
• ignoring
• denying
• dismissing
• spurning
• passing
• avoiding
• vetoing
• withdrawing
• repudiating
• disputing
• disapproving
• forbidding
• nixing
• deselecting
• reprobating
• turning down
• passing up
• throwing over
• balking (at)
• negativing
• overruling
• prohibiting
• throwing out
• disdaining
• rebuffing
• scorning
• renouncing
• proscribing
• retracting
• scouting
• disavowing
• revoking
• contradicting
• refuting
• turning one's back on
• recalling
• disclaiming
• bypassing
• sticking
• disowning
• foreswearing
• abjuring
• forswearing
• blowing off
• disproving
• recanting
• negating
• shooting down
• forbearing
• rebutting
• controverting
• abstaining (from)
• refraining (from)
• gainsaying
• disallowing
• taking back
• detouring
• reneging
• unsaying
• disagreeing (with)
• backtracking
• backing down
• backing off

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• accepting
• approving
• receiving
• agreeing (to)
• adopting
• tolerating
• embracing
• swallowing
• taking
• agreeing
• welcoming
• selecting
• condoning
• choosing
• consenting
• assenting
• countenancing
• acceding
• supporting
• acquiescing
• espousing
• handpicking

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of reject

Verb

The bills became law after Newsom threatened to reject the state budget passed last week unless there was an overhaul of CEQA, which requires strict reviews of any new development built and its impact on the environment. —Terry Collins, USA Today, 3 July 2025

Attorney James McManis successfully argued that Rosen’s motion should be rejected. —Dolores Carr, Mercury News, 3 July 2025

Noun

Instead of letting the weird baking mixes or seasonings go to waste, team up with your partner or roommates and make an Iron Chef style meal of the rejects. —Grace McCarty, SELF, 28 Dec. 2024

Led by the foul-mouthed and fouler-smelling Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), the team of rejects consists of River Cartwright (Jack Lowden), Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung), Louisa Guy (Rosalind Eleazar) and Catherine Standish (Saskia Reeves) among others including newcomer, J.K. Coe (Thomas Brooke). —Erik Kain, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024