Synonyms of spurn

spurn 1 of 2

verb

ˈspərn 

as in to refuse

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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

spurn

2 of 2

noun

as in refusal

Related Words

• refusal
• rebuff
• repudiation
• repulse
• rejection
• denial
• no
• declination
• veto
• nonacceptance
• injunction
• nay
• disallowance
• ban
• turndown
• suppression
• discouragement
• repression
• negative
• deterrence

Dissimilar Words

• grant
• approval
• allowance
• okay
• acceptance
• consent
• permission
• sanction
• leave
• agreement
• license
• clearance
• assent
• accession
• authorization
• acquiescence
• OK
• concurrence
• seal
• signature
• licence
• stamp
• sufferance
• imprimatur

Synonym Chooser

How is the word spurn different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of spurn are decline, refuse, reject, and repudiate. While all these words mean "to turn away by not accepting, receiving, or considering," spurn stresses contempt or disdain in rejection or repudiation.

spurned his overtures of friendship

Where would decline be a reasonable alternative to spurn?

In some situations, the words decline and spurn are roughly equivalent. However, decline often implies courteous refusal especially of offers or invitations.

declined his party's nomination

When could refuse be used to replace spurn?

The words refuse and spurn are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, refuse suggests more positiveness or ungraciousness and often implies the denial of something asked for.

refused to lend them the money

When would reject be a good substitute for spurn?

The synonyms reject and spurn are sometimes interchangeable, but reject implies a peremptory refusal by sending away or discarding.

rejected the manuscript as unpublishable

When might repudiate be a better fit than spurn?

The meanings of repudiate and spurn largely overlap; however, repudiate implies a casting off or disowning as untrue, unauthorized, or unworthy of acceptance.

teenagers who repudiate the values of their parents

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of spurn

Noun

On Thursday, Putin spurned an offer by Zelensky to meet face-to-face in Turkey. —Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025

Hardcore, like many self-consciously underground communities, spurned broader society by forming its own smaller one, which turned out to entail a fair amount of conformity, after all—those Boston hardcore kids on the State House steps were dressed pretty much the same, in jeans and dark jackets. —Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 11 June 2025

Amid an obsession with low-fat diets in the 1980s, avocados were spurned by many — even though their fats are mostly unsaturated. —Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2025

Archbishop Bean bravely uplifted people with HIV-AIDS at a time when many with the illness were feared and spurned. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 27 May 2025