reject

reject — verb

1. to say no to an offer, request, proposal, or idea by choosing not to take it, us

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to say no to an offer, request, proposal, or idea by choosing not to take it, use it, or agree with it

Example

Mira rejected the job offer because the salary was much lower than she had expected.

reject + noun phrase (offer, proposal, idea)

The committee rejected Vivek's proposal after several members raised serious concerns about the cost.

Common collocations
  • reject an offer
  • reject a proposal
  • reject an application
  • reject a suggestion
  • reject an idea
  • flatly reject
  • reject outright
Synonyms
  • refuse

    stronger and more direct; can be used with to-infinitive ('refuse to do')

  • decline

    more polite and formal; often used for invitations or offers

  • turn down

    informal phrasal verb with a similar meaning

Antonyms
  • accept

    to agree to take or receive something offered

  • approve

    to officially agree to a plan or request

Grammar Patterns

reject + noun phrase

be rejected

reject + -ing clause

Usage Note

Frequently used with nouns like 'offer', 'proposal', 'application', 'suggestion', or 'idea'. Stronger than 'decline' and often implies a clear, sometimes firm, refusal.

Common Mistakes

She rejected to go to the party.
She refused to go to the party.
'reject' is not followed by a to-infinitive; use 'refuse' for unwillingness to do an action.
He rejected me the promotion.
He rejected my request for a promotion.
'reject' takes a direct object but does not take an indirect object like 'me'.

2. to push someone away by not showing them the affection, care, or closeness they

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to push someone away by not showing them the affection, care, or closeness they hope for in a personal relationship

Example

Layla felt deeply rejected when her best friend stopped answering her calls and texts.

feel rejected

Reuben's parents rejected him after he chose a career they strongly disapproved of.

Common collocations
  • reject a child
  • reject a partner
  • feel rejected
  • rejected by family
  • rejected by society
Synonyms
  • shun

    more deliberate and lasting; suggests actively avoiding someone

  • abandon

    stronger; implies leaving someone permanently without support

Antonyms
  • accept

    to welcome someone warmly and include them in your life

  • embrace

    to hold someone close emotionally as well as physically

Grammar Patterns

reject + noun phrase (person)

feel rejected

be rejected by

Usage Note

Often used in the passive ('feel rejected') to describe someone's emotional experience. Common in contexts of family relationships, friendships, and romantic situations.

Common Mistakes

She rejected from her family.
She was rejected by her family.
'reject' is transitive and needs a direct object; it cannot stand alone with 'from'.

3. when the body's natural defenses fight against a transplanted organ or tissue, t

3.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

when the body's natural defenses fight against a transplanted organ or tissue, treating it as a foreign invader and causing the transplant to fail

Example

Mathieu's body rejected the donor kidney within the first ten days after the transplant surgery.

body rejects organ

Doctors gave Sade strong medication to prevent her immune system from rejecting the new heart.

prevent from rejecting

Common collocations
  • reject an organ
  • reject a transplant
  • body rejects
  • immune system rejects
  • rejection drugs
  • anti-rejection medication
Synonyms
  • fight (off)

    less precise; describes the immune response generally, not the specific transplant outcome

Antonyms
  • accept

    when the body does not attack the transplanted organ and it functions normally

Grammar Patterns

body rejects + organ/tissue

be rejected by the body

Usage Note

Common in medical contexts. The subject is usually 'body', 'immune system', or 'patient'. The passive form ('the organ was rejected') is frequent in medical reports.

Common Mistakes

I rejected the new kidney.' (when talking about a medical transplant).
My body rejected the new kidney.
Clear that the immune system, not the person's choice, is doing the rejecting.

reject — noun

Word family

  • rejection
    nounB2
  • rejected
    adjectiveB1
  • rejecting
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Reject', 'refuse', 'decline', and 'turn down' all involve saying no, but they differ in strength, grammar, and register. 'Reject' is the strongest; it implies firmly dismissing an offer, idea, or application — often with a clear, sometimes blunt, refusal. 'Refuse' is also strong but can be used before a to-infinitive ('refuse to leave'), which 'reject' cannot. 'Decline' is the most polite and formal, ideal for invitations or offers you wish to refuse gracefully ('decline a dinner invitation'). 'Turn down' is an informal phrasal verb that covers similar ground to 'reject' but sounds more conversational ('turn down a job offer'). Choose 'decline' in formal letters, 'refuse' when stating unwillingness to act, 'reject' for clear dismissal of a thing or person, and 'turn down' in everyday speech.

reject ↗refuse ↗decline ↗turn down ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • reject out of hand
  • reject on principle
  • reject without consideration

Prepositions

  • by (rejected by someone/something)
  • as (rejected as unsuitable)
  • from (rejected from a program)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'reject' comes from the Latin verb 'reicere', which combines 're-' (meaning 'back') and 'iacere' (meaning 'to throw'). The original sense was 'to throw back'. It passed into English through Old French 'rejecter' in the 15th century. The medical sense of the body attacking a transplanted organ developed in modern English in the mid-20th century as transplant surgery became possible.