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
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
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Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam
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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.
But the creators of those series were never as aggressively dismissive of the industry as Sheridan has been – and not only recently, but for many years.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
MPs also asked Dogra why Channel 4's initial response to the allegations was "so dismissive", with the broadcaster calling them "wholly uncorroborated and disputed".
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 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
On the rare occasions I run into one of my old friends who did continue on to college, I feel both inferior and dismissive.
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
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.
