dismiss

dismiss — verb

1. to decide that an idea, suggestion, or person is not important enough for you to

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to decide that an idea, suggestion, or person is not important enough for you to think about or discuss seriously

Example

Cole dismissed his colleague's warning about the budget problem as unnecessary worry.

dismiss + noun phrase + as + noun phrase

The committee dismissed the plan after just five minutes of discussion.

Common collocations
  • dismiss as irrelevant
  • dismiss out of hand
  • dismiss a suggestion
  • dismiss a concern
  • dismiss a thought
  • dismiss an idea
Synonyms
  • brush off

    less formal; suggests a quick, casual rejection without careful thought

  • disregard

    more neutral; can mean you simply paid no attention rather than deciding it was worthless

  • reject

    broader in scope; covers turning down an offer, not just an idea

Antonyms
  • consider

    to think about something carefully before making a decision

  • acknowledge

    to accept or admit that something exists or is important

Grammar Patterns

dismiss + noun phrase

dismiss + noun phrase + as + noun/adjective

dismiss + the idea/thought of + -ing

Usage Note

Often appears with 'as' to state the reason the person or thing is being pushed aside. The object can be a person, a suggestion, a feeling, or a piece of information.

Common Mistakes

I dismissed his idea' (when you mean you forgot it).
I dismissed his idea as outdated and unworkable.
'dismiss' in this sense means you consciously rejected it after thinking about it, not that you forgot it by accident.
She dismissed the offer completely' (vague).
She dismissed the offer as too risky for the company.
The 'as' phrase clarifies why you think something is not worth considering.

2. to officially tell someone that they no longer have a job, often because they di

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to officially tell someone that they no longer have a job, often because they did something wrong or failed to do their work properly

Example

The school dismissed the teacher after finding evidence that he had broken the rules.

Renata was dismissed from her job when the company discovered the missing funds.

passive: be dismissed from [position]

Common collocations
  • dismissed from a job
  • dismissed for misconduct
  • dismissed without notice
  • summarily dismissed
  • unfairly dismissed
Synonyms
  • fire

    less formal; more common in everyday speech

  • sack

    British English, informal; suggests the dismissal was for poor performance or misconduct

  • let go

    softer in tone; may also include layoffs unrelated to wrongdoing

Antonyms
  • hire

    to give someone a job

  • employ

    to pay someone to work for you

Grammar Patterns

dismiss + noun phrase

be dismissed

dismiss + noun phrase + from + noun phrase

dismiss + noun phrase + for + noun/reason

Usage Note

Frequently used in the passive (be dismissed). The reason for the dismissal is typically introduced by 'for'. This sense is more formal than 'fire' and is common in written news reports.

Common Mistakes

The company dismissed him' (when he left by choice).
The company dismissed him for stealing equipment.
'dismiss' means the employer ended the job; use 'resign' or 'quit' when the employee chooses to leave.
I was dismissed from school because I was late.
I was sent home from school because I was late.
'dismiss from school' in this sense is about employment, not education; use 'expel' or 'suspend' for students.

3. to officially tell or allow a person or group to leave a place or to stop what t

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to officially tell or allow a person or group to leave a place or to stop what they are doing

Example

The general dismissed the soldiers after the morning briefing.

When the meeting ended, the head teacher dismissed the students to their classrooms.

Common collocations
  • dismiss the class
  • dismiss the troops
  • dismissed from duty
  • dismiss the meeting
  • dismiss the jury
Synonyms
  • send away

    less formal; does not carry the implication of formal authority

  • release

    emphasises allowing someone to go free from an obligation

  • disperse

    used for groups; suggests people go in different directions

Antonyms
  • assemble

    to bring people together in one place

  • summon

    to order someone to come to a place

Grammar Patterns

dismiss + noun phrase

dismiss + noun phrase + from + noun phrase

be dismissed

Usage Note

Common in military, school, and formal meeting settings. The person being dismissed is expected to leave or stop their current activity. Unlike sense 2 (END JOB), this does not imply losing a position long-term.

Common Mistakes

The teacher dismissed the student from the classroom for being late' (too formal for everyday school life).
The teacher sent the student out of the classroom for being late.
'dismiss' in this sense sounds very formal; 'send out' is more natural for routine classroom situations.
The boss dismissed everyone at 5 pm.
The boss let everyone leave at 5 pm.
'dismiss' in the SEND AWAY sense is much more formal and most natural in military, court, or ceremonial contexts.

4. when a court decides that a legal case must end, most often because the facts or

4.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

when a court decides that a legal case must end, most often because the facts or the law do not support continuing with it

Example

The judge dismissed the case because the police had not collected enough evidence.

dismiss a case for lack of evidence

The court dismissed the case after the two sides reached a private agreement.

Common collocations
  • dismiss a case
  • dismiss charges
  • dismiss a lawsuit
  • dismiss a claim
  • case dismissed with prejudice
Synonyms
  • throw out

    less formal; common in news reports about rejected legal cases

  • strike out

    British legal term; means the case is removed from the court record

Antonyms
  • admit

    to allow a case to go forward in court

  • uphold

    to support a case or appeal, allowing it to continue

Grammar Patterns

dismiss + noun phrase (case, lawsuit, charges)

be dismissed

dismiss + noun phrase + on the grounds of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Almost always used in a courtroom or legal context. The subject is typically a judge or a court. The object is the case itself, not a person. A case that is dismissed can sometimes be brought back to court later if new evidence appears.

Common Mistakes

The judge dismissed the case because it was boring.
The judge dismissed the case because there was not enough evidence.
Courts dismiss cases on legal grounds such as lack of evidence, improper procedure, or lack of legal basis, not on personal opinion.
The police dismissed the case.
The judge dismissed the case.
Only a judge or a court can dismiss a case in the legal sense. Police 'drop' or 'close' an investigation.

Word family

  • dismissal
    nounB2
  • dismissive
    adjectiveB2
  • dismissively
    adverbC1
  • dismissible
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five words involve not taking something seriously, but they differ in tone and degree of deliberation. 'Dismiss' implies that you actively considered the idea before deciding it was unworthy — it is a conscious, reasoned rejection. 'Ignore' means you pay no attention at all, whether deliberately or not; it is the strongest for showing lack of interest. 'Disregard' sits between them: you notice something but choose to set it aside as unimportant. 'Brush off' is informal and suggests a quick, casual rejection — you wave the matter away without thinking it through. 'Reject' is broader: it can apply to an offer, a candidate, or an idea and does not necessarily carry the 'not worth considering' meaning that 'dismiss' does. For example, you might 'dismiss' a colleague's suggestion as impractical, 'ignore' a spam email, 'disregard' a minor complaint, 'brush off' an insult with a laugh, but 'reject' a job application after careful review.

dismiss ↗ignore ↗disregardbrush off ↗reject ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • summarily
  • outright
  • brusquely
  • dismiss lightly

Phrases

  • dismiss out of hand
  • dismiss with prejudice

Prepositions

  • dismiss from
  • dismiss for
  • dismiss as

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'dismiss' entered English in the 1400s from Latin 'dimittere' (to send away), formed from 'dis-' (apart, away) and 'mittere' (to send). It came through Old French 'desmetre' before settling into English as a formal verb for sending people away or rejecting ideas.