dismiss
Americanverb (used with object)
-
dismisses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dismissed,
past participle, past
-
dismissing
present participle
-
to direct (an assembly of persons) to disperse or go.
I dismissed the class early.
-
to bid or allow (a person) to go; give permission or a request to depart.
- Antonyms:
- recall
-
to discharge or remove, as from office or service.
to dismiss an employee.
- Synonyms:
- fire
- Antonyms:
- hire
-
to discard or reject.
to dismiss a suitor.
- Antonyms:
- accept
-
to put off or away, especially from consideration; put aside; reject.
She dismissed the story as mere rumor.
-
to have done with (a subject) after summary treatment.
After a perfunctory discussion, he dismissed the idea.
-
Law. to put out of court, as a complaint or appeal.
verb
-
to remove or discharge from employment or service
-
to send away or allow to go or disperse
-
to dispel from one's mind; discard; reject
-
to cease to consider (a subject)
they dismissed the problem
-
to decline further hearing to (a claim or action)
the judge dismissed the case
-
cricket to bowl out (a side) for a particular number of runs
Synonym Usage
See release.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
predismissverb (used with object)
-
redismissverb (used with object)
-
dismissibleadjective
-
dismissiveadjective
-
undismissedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
dismisssimple
-
dismissessimple
-
have dismissedperfect
-
has dismissedperfect
-
am dismissingprogressive
-
are dismissingprogressive
-
is dismissingprogressive
-
have been dismissingperfect progressive
-
has been dismissingperfect progressive
Past
-
dismissedsimple
-
had dismissedperfect
-
was dismissingprogressive
-
were dismissingprogressive
-
had been dismissingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dismiss
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin dismissus, from Latin dīmissus “sent away,” past participle of dīmittere “to send away,” from Latin dī, variant of dis- dis- 1 + mitt(ere) “to let go, send”
Explanation
At the end of a lesson period, your teacher says, "class dismissed." This means that you and the rest of the students are free to go. Dismiss means to let go. If a judge dismisses a case, it means he's saying it has no merit, and is throwing it out of court. If you are dismissed from your job, it means you've been fired. And if you've been ignoring your friends' warnings that your boyfriend is cheating, you've been dismissing their concerns. "Don't dismiss me!" is something you say when the person you're talking to is not taking you and your comments seriously.
Vocabulary lists containing dismiss
Send a Message: Mit and Miss
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!
Warm-up, List 1
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!
Nothing But the Truth
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.
See Examples For:
Tole will file a motion to dismiss the case on or before Jan. 8.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
The sad thing about this is that the people who most need to hear this will dismiss it as “fake news.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
The pair have asked a US judge to dismiss the charges against them, claiming they have immunity as president and first lady of a sovereign country.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
He and his wife's lawyers have asked the court to dismiss the charges because he is the leader of a sovereign country and therefore immune from prosecution.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
The prosecutor is free to dismiss a case for any reason or no reason at all.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Teachout dismisses AI developers’ claims that many of the known problems created by their systems, including hacks of other digital systems, were inadvertent and therefore nobody’s fault.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Wilson dismisses that comparison, arguing the "fundamental dynamics are completely different".
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Ms. Fritz dismisses speculation that the two fell into each other’s arms on this sunny, romantic-sounding holiday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
She dismisses some research papers on it as "absolutely poor quality".
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
When Four dismisses us for dinner, Christina nudges me with her elbow.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
Wells dismissed those fears on Thursday and said a previous clause in the draft legislation that would have granted ministerial powers to define harmful content had been removed.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Seeing the rocky path leading up the valley, my mom voiced doubt for the first time, and I dismissed her with what I hoped sounded like words of encouragement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
But the German supervisory board, which operates as a trustee of the charity, overruled them and dismissed all three directors in February.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
On Monday, a judge approved Xu’s petition to have his felony charge dismissed following the completion of his probation earlier this year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Chobin had been a general in Khosrou’s dad’s army and had been dismissed for losing a battle.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
Bardella denied that he wrote the messages, dismissing the report as a smear campaign.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
He wants the judge to enter a not-guilty verdict, essentially dismissing the case after a weeks-long, televised trial that has captivated Americans.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
Changes to UK-wide employment law will come in effect on the same date which would make dismissing an employee for refusing to accept contract changes automatically become an unfair dismissal.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
“We are not dismissing any of this,” the strategists said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
The key issue here is one of timescale: How long should one wait before dismissing a theoretical achievement or a technological advance as having little or no practical relevance?
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
