dismiss

American  

[dis-mis] / dɪsˈmɪs /

verb (used with object)

• dismisses,
  present (3rd person singular)
• dismissed,
  past participle,  past
• dismissing
  present participle

1. to direct (an assembly of persons) to disperse or go.

   I dismissed the class early.

2. to bid or allow (a person) to go; give permission or a request to depart.

   Antonyms:

   recall

3. to discharge or remove, as from office or service.

   to dismiss an employee.

   Synonyms:

   fire

   Antonyms:

   hire

4. to discard or reject.

   to dismiss a suitor.

   Antonyms:

   accept

5. to put off or away, especially from consideration; put aside; reject.

   She dismissed the story as mere rumor.

6. to have done with (a subject) after summary treatment.

   After a perfunctory discussion, he dismissed the idea.

7. Law. to put out of court, as a complaint or appeal.

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dismiss British  

/ dɪsˈmɪs /

verb

1. to remove or discharge from employment or service

2. to send away or allow to go or disperse

3. to dispel from one's mind; discard; reject

4. to cease to consider (a subject)

   they dismissed the problem

5. to decline further hearing to (a claim or action)

   the judge dismissed the case

6. cricket to bowl out (a side) for a particular number of runs

---

1. military an order to end an activity or give permission to disperse

Synonym Usage

See release.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• predismiss
  verb (used with object)
• redismiss
  verb (used with object)
• dismissible
  adjective
• dismissive
  adjective
• undismissed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• dismissing
  present
• dismissed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• dismiss
  simple
• dismisses
  simple
• have dismissed
  perfect
• has dismissed
  perfect
• am dismissing
  progressive
• are dismissing
  progressive
• is dismissing
  progressive
• have been dismissing
  perfect progressive
• has been dismissing
  perfect progressive

Past

• dismissed
  simple
• had dismissed
  perfect
• was dismissing
  progressive
• were dismissing
  progressive
• had been dismissing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will dismiss
  simple
• will have dismissed
  perfect
• will be dismissing
  progressive
• will have been dismissing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of dismiss

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin dismissus, from Latin dīmissus “sent away,” past participle of dīmittere “to send away,” from Latin dī, variant of dis- dis- ¹ + mitt(ere) “to let go, send”

Explanation

At the end of a lesson period, your teacher says, "class dismissed." This means that you and the rest of the students are free to go. Dismiss means to let go. If a judge dismisses a case, it means he's saying it has no merit, and is throwing it out of court. If you are dismissed from your job, it means you've been fired. And if you've been ignoring your friends' warnings that your boyfriend is cheating, you've been dismissing their concerns. "Don't dismiss me!" is something you say when the person you're talking to is not taking you and your comments seriously.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dismiss dismisses dismissed dismissing

Mangione’s lawyer has asked the state to dismiss its charges, citing double-jeopardy protections.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

While observers still question the possible cause of death, several specialists interviewed by AFP dismiss poisoning.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro and how her prosecutors secured a grand jury indictment against 67-year-old David Hearn for “vandalizing” the Reflecting Pool, only to dismiss the case within weeks.

From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2026

For a football federation facing chronic funding constraints and enormous infrastructure needs, Infantino's proposed plans would have been difficult to dismiss.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

He made a pass at the air with one hand, as if to dismiss the subject.

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger

Morgan dismisses concerns about Google diversifying its chip supply, stating Broadcom remains on track for next-gen Google TPU production.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

Fiechter dismisses this as fearmongering, saying he is "certain that the EU will not allow this to happen", and arguing that the agreements with Switzerland are "entirely in the EU's own interest".

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026

For her part Zoe, mature well beyond her tender age, dismisses the hype with a shrug.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2026

“I’m pretty sure I didn’t tell him where I lived,” she muses when David proposes collecting her for an evening out, but she dismisses her suspicions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

Then he tweaks my nose like he might a naughty child, and dismisses us.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

The 25-year-old put on 102 for the second wicket with Mominul Haque, who was dismissed by Josh Hazlewood for 49 before lunch.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Plus, a judge dismissed the Trump administration’s lawsuit against Harvard, and concerns grow over living conditions aboard the USS Lincoln.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Speaking in court Thursday, Tahnya dismissed Sandoval as a “coward.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

Plus, next month a judge has scheduled a hearing to decide whether Hearn’s dismissed charges should be held with prejudice, so the DOJ can’t charge him again for the same alleged conduct.

From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2026

“It seems, with mere hours left in the challenge, the court case was conveniently dismissed, and you were free to spend the money again. The timing felt motivated.”

From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty

Hill reiterated the importance of not dismissing people's experience of their cycle as "anxiety".

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

Then it’s up to their coach to talk them into dismissing the algorithm they’ve spent the past few months trusting.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

He has faced criticism for dismissing former prime minister Trovoada in January 2025, a move ruled one year later to be contrary to the constitution.

From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026

But dismissing a film like “The Invite” as one of many would be a mistake.

From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026

In insisting these were the only tools required Galileo was dismissing Aristotelian logic as an irrelevance.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• depose
• discharge
• disqualify
• fire
• impeach
• let go
• oust
• recall
• retire
• sack
• suspend
• terminate