rebuff

[ noun ri-buhf, ree-buhf; verb ri-buhf ]

See synonyms for: rebuff rebuffed rebuffing on Thesaurus.com

noun

a blunt or abrupt rejection, as of a person making advances.
a peremptory refusal of a request, offer, etc.; snub.

a check to action or progress.

verb (used with object)

to give a rebuff to; check; repel; refuse; drive away.

Origin of rebuff

1580–90; <Middle French rebuffer<Italian ribuffare to disturb, reprimand, derivative of ribuffo (noun), equivalent to ri-re- + buffo puff; see buffoon

Other words for rebuff

4	snub, slight, reject, spurn

See synonyms for rebuff on Thesaurus.com

Other words from rebuff

re·buff·a·ble, adjective
re·buff·a·bly, adverb
un·re·buff·a·ble, adjective
un·re·buffed, adjective

Words Nearby rebuff

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use rebuff in a sentence

The presentation was a kind of rebuff to those who think Disney has been one-upped in the digital world by Netflix.
Disney unveils huge cache of content, signaling it seeks to dominate both digital and theaters | Steven Zeitchik | December 11, 2020 | Washington Post
Not only did she rebuff his awkward advance in person, she went home and did some sleuthing.
Online Shaming Gives Creeps the Spotlight They Deserve | Samantha Allen | September 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
March 2012: “In rebuff to Obama, Abbas says he will send ultimatum to Israel.”
Abbas Threatens To Dismantle PA—Again | Emily L. Hauser | December 28, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Or we simply learn how to artfully rebuff advances by subtly threatening to blow the whistle on despicable and degrading behavior.
Hounded by Harassment | Lauren Ashburn | November 4, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
The tone constituted a rebuff, and Rita's coquetry deserted her, leaving her mortified and piqued.
Dope | Sax Rohmer

"Tell him to call," she said to Tim, who delivered her message rather awkwardly, as if expecting a rebuff.
The Cromptons | Mary J. Holmes
Nothing dismayed by his first rebuff, the audacious Fouch again intervened.
The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte | William Milligan Sloane
He was so easily rebuffed, and she was so reluctant to rebuff him.
A Houseful of Girls | Sarah Tytler
Take, for instance, the matter of a caress or an embrace—how would you react to repeated rebuff?
The Mother and Her Child | William S. Sadler

British Dictionary definitions for rebuff

rebuff

/ (rɪˈbʌf) /

verb(tr)

to snub, reject, or refuse (a person offering help or sympathy, an offer of help, etc) abruptly or out of hand
to beat back (an attack); repel

noun

a blunt refusal or rejection; snub
any sudden check to progress or action

Origin of rebuff

C16: from Old French rebuffer, from Italian ribuffare, from ribuffo a reprimand, from ri- re- + buffo puff, gust, apparently of imitative origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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