rebuff
Americannoun
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rebuffs
plural
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a blunt or abrupt rejection, as of a person making advances.
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a peremptory refusal of a request, offer, etc.; snub.
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a check to action or progress.
verb (used with object)
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rebuffs,
present (3rd person singular)
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rebuffed,
past participle, past
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rebuffing
present participle
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
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to beat back (an attack); repel
noun
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a blunt refusal or rejection; snub
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any sudden check to progress or action
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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rebuffsimple
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rebuffssimple
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have rebuffedperfect
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has rebuffedperfect
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am rebuffingprogressive
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are rebuffingprogressive
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is rebuffingprogressive
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have been rebuffingperfect progressive
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has been rebuffingperfect progressive
Past
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rebuffedsimple
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had rebuffedperfect
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was rebuffingprogressive
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were rebuffingprogressive
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had been rebuffingperfect progressive
Future
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.
See Examples For:
Cyrille Bollore, chief executive of top UMG shareholder the Bollore Group BOL 0.83%increase; green up pointing triangle , had urged the company to rebuff the offer, arguing that Ackman’s proposal undervalued it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
They are seen as North Korea's latest rebuff of South Korea's peace overtures, according to analysts.
From Barron's ● Apr. 8, 2026
Not only did the University of California regents rebuff the stadium bid, they also decreed that no structure built on the Drake Stadium footprint could later be enlarged into a football stadium.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2025
The Miss Universe Organisation on Tuesday put out a statement to rebuff Mr Harfouch's claims, saying that "no external group has been authorised to evaluate delegates or select finalists".
From BBC ● Nov. 19, 2025
Camilla brightened when Miss Pocket met with this rebuff; and she murmured, as she plaintively contemplated Miss Havisham, “Poor dear soul! Certainly not to be expected to look well, poor thing. The idea!”
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
New Palace manager Pierre Sage will hope the club rebuffs any potential suitors.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Even though Davis is repeatedly asked who will take over from Rufus, she rebuffs the question.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
At the beginning of the film, Mr. Banks rebuffs his children when they ask him to repair their kite.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2025
Through Jessica, “Too Much” rebuffs the trope Dunham helped create.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2025
My zeal made me forget these rebuffs, for I was sure that an atmosphere of trust would be created as soon as I had explained my project to them.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
Acton has said the last time she saw her mother was in the courtroom after her stepfather was charged, when her mother rebuffed her kiss.
From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2026
On the Avio earnings call, Ranzo said that customers rebuffed by SpaceX used the recent International Space Summit in Paris to lobby European officials to encourage them to buy locally.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 20, 2026
Doe, 86, sued UFW Foundation and the César Chávez Foundation as Chavéz’s employers, saying the nonprofits enabled his attacks, ignored and rebuffed contemporary complaints about them, and covered up evidence they had occurred.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Administration officials have so far rebuffed Ford’s pleas on the issue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Sam Houston tried to cadge a beer and was properly rebuffed.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
After rebuffing Pfizer’s $120 billion takeover bid in 2014, he steadily transformed AstraZeneca into one of the drug industry’s top growth stories.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
American Airlines late Friday took the unusual step of rebuffing a merger before it was even made.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 20, 2026
Cuba wasted no time in rebuffing the proposal.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2025
Pyongyang has upped the ante in recent weeks, with leader Kim Jong Un's sister rebuffing efforts towards reconciliation made by Lee's government.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2025
He was angry with Desdemona for rebuffing him and he was angry at himself for being angry at her, because he knew she was right.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
