reject

American  

[ri-jekt, ree-jekt] / rɪˈdʒɛkt, ˈri dʒɛkt /

verb (used with object)

1. to refuse to have, take, recognize, etc..

   to reject the offer of a better job.

   Synonyms:

   deny

2. to refuse to grant (a request, demand, etc.).

   Synonyms:

   deny

3. to refuse to accept (someone or something); rebuff.

   The other children rejected him. The publisher rejected the author's latest novel.

   Synonyms:

   renounce, repel

4. to discard as useless or unsatisfactory.

   The mind rejects painful memories.

   Synonyms:

   jettison, eliminate

5. to cast out or eject; vomit.

6. to cast out or off.

7. Medicine/Medical. (of a human or other animal) to have an immunological reaction against (a transplanted organ or grafted tissue).

   If tissue types are not matched properly, a patient undergoing a transplant will reject the graft.

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noun

1. something rejected, as an imperfect article.

   Synonyms:

   second

reject British  

verb

1. to refuse to accept, acknowledge, use, believe, etc

2. to throw out as useless or worthless; discard

3. to rebuff (a person)

4. (of an organism) to fail to accept (a foreign tissue graft or organ transplant) because of immunological incompatibility

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noun

1. something rejected as imperfect, unsatisfactory, or useless

Related Words

See refuse ¹.

Other Word Forms

• prereject verb (used with object)
• quasi-rejected adjective
• rejectable adjective
• rejecter noun
• rejection noun
• rejective adjective
• unrejectable adjective
• unrejected adjective
• unrejective adjective

Etymology

Origin of reject

First recorded in 1485–95; (verb) from Latin rējectus, past participle of rējicere “to throw back,” equivalent to re- re- + jec-, combining form of jacere “to throw” + -tus past participle suffix

Explanation

When you reject something, you rule it out or dismiss it. If you're trying to pick a fancy restaurant to go to for your birthday, you'll probably reject the diner you went to just yesterday. The verb reject has several shades of meaning. Reject can mean to refuse to accept or agree with something. If you don't believe space aliens are living on earth, you reject the idea — you just don't believe it. Reject can also mean to treat someone with contempt: "My former best friend rejected me to hang out with a different crowd — but I found new friends with whom I had more in common."

Example Sentences

More clear-eyed now, Jean must reject her martyrdom and reclaim her own truth and agency.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

"A supporter can back the mission and reject this."

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

His comments echoed the company’s argument in court that it created a path to homeownership for thousands of lower-income consumers whom risk-averse banks reject.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026

Its neighbors, which reject Beijing’s arguments, once counted on solid support from Washington.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

“The expansion will be approved, Cari. There’s no way the city would reject a good business decision like this.”

From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya

Related Words

• deny
• dismiss
• rebuff
• refuse
• renounce
• repudiate
• scrap
• spurn
• turn down
• veto