spurned
Americanadjective
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of spurned
Explanation
Someone who's spurned has been abandoned or rejected, usually by a romantic interest. If your significant other breaks up with you unexpectedly, you might feel spurned. It's not easy to be a spurned lover, since the adjective implies total rejection by someone you love. A spurned groom, for example, might wait at the church on his wedding day for a bride who never shows up. The Old English root word of spurned makes this rejection pretty clear: spurnan means "to kick away, reject, scorn, or despise."
Vocabulary lists containing spurned
Happy Birthday, James Joyce!
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!
Words to Celebrate West Virginia!
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!
"Watched" by Marina Budhos, Chapters 10–12
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.
Spurned Spinoffs: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman discussed spinning out the company’s robotics and consumer-hardware divisions late last year, a move intended to give them more room to grow without weighing down the core business.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026
Spurned by its mother, Punch was raised in an artificial environment after being born in July, and began training to rejoin his troop earlier this year.
From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026
Spurned lovers, angry spouses, and jealous partners also weaponized that law for their own purposes.
From Slate • Sep. 5, 2025
Spurned by Rivian, GM turned its attention to two far shakier startups Shortly after that, GM announced a deal with hydrogen electric trucking startup Nikola, which had a pickup truck project of its own.
From The Verge • Sep. 19, 2021
The glittering tyranny of Othman's sons, The pomp of horror which surrounds their thrones, Have awed their servile spirits into fear; Spurned by the foot, they tremble and revere.
From Mosaics of Grecian History by Willson, Marcius
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.
