dismissive
Americanadjective
-
indicating dismissal or rejection; having the purpose or effect of dismissing, as from one's presence or from consideration.
a curt, dismissive gesture.
-
indicating lack of interest or approbation; scornful; disdainful.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of dismissive
Explanation
To be dismissive is to be indifferent and a little rude. Being dismissive is a sign of disrespect. If you're dismissive, you show little consideration for others. If a teacher laughs at a student's earnest answer to a question, that's dismissive. An employer throwing a resume in the trash without reading it? Dismissive. People are dismissive to others they think are beneath them. You can also be dismissive to ideas and suggestions. It's like waving someone or something away and saying, "whatever."
Vocabulary lists containing dismissive
Refugee
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Into the Wild
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
SoftBank’s CEO and founder, Masayoshi Son, was apparently very dismissive of the concerns.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026
I firmly believe that kind of dismissive contempt is misguided.
From Salon • Jun. 8, 2026
But Rollins remained dismissive of the band, telling the New York Times decades later that he regarded the Stones’ music as a flimsy simulacra of work by Black artists.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
And when another mayoral candidate, City Councilmember Nithya Raman, posted Trump’s praise of Pratt on social media, he responded with a snippet of himself making a dismissive face during a debate.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
They realized that one response to their Narrative would be a dismissive “It’s their word against mine.”
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
