rebuff
Americannoun
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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)
verb
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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
Other Word Forms
- rebuffable adjective
- rebuffably adverb
- unrebuffable adjective
- unrebuffed adjective
Etymology
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
Explanation
If you rebuff someone, you reject or snub him. You might decide to rebuff a classmate's invitation to the dance after hearing him gossip meanly about a friend. Although the verb rebuff is a somewhat old fashioned one to use for social relationships, it's still common in the world of diplomacy. One country's rebuff of another might start a war, or end peace talks, or otherwise reverberate through the world of international relations. You can also use rebuff as a noun — deliberately ignoring your sister's text message is one example of a rebuff. The Italian root word, ribuffo, combines ri, expressing opposition, and buffo, "a puff."
Vocabulary lists containing rebuff
Dissed List: Breakup Words for Valentine's Day
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A Raisin in the Sun
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This Week in Words: December 30, 2017 - January 5, 2018
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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.
They are seen as North Korea's latest rebuff of South Korea's peace overtures, according to analysts.
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
The board’s decision to rebuff Paramount is the latest development in the fight for the future of Warner.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026
And those limits create a “judicial responsibility” for courts to rebuff the president when he deploys the Guard “in a situation far divorced” from what Congress envisioned.
From Slate • Oct. 21, 2025
Discovery board to rebuff the offer, sources said.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 12, 2025
I said at last after a direct rebuff, “Harth, I’ve said something wrong again, please tell me what it is.”
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
