rebuff


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rebuff

blunt or abrupt rejection; snub; spurn: rebuff a proposal or invitation
Not to be confused with:
rebuke – a sharp, stern disapproval of; reprove; reprimand; censure; admonish; reproach: rebuke his bad behavior
rebut – to argue to the contrary; disprove; confute: rebut an argument
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

re·buff

 (rĭ-bŭf′)
n.
1. A blunt or abrupt repulse or refusal, as to an offer.
2. A check or an abrupt setback to progress or action: a rebuff to his ambitions.
tr.v. re·buffed, re·buff·ing, re·buffs
1. To reject bluntly, often disdainfully; snub: rebuff a person making advances; rebuff a request. See Synonyms at refuse1.
2. To repel or drive back: rebuffed the attack.

[From obsolete French rebuffer, to reject, from Italian ribuffare, from ribuffo, reprimand : ri-, back (from Latin re-; see re-) + buffo, gust, puff (of imitative origin).]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

rebuff

(rɪˈbʌf)
vb (tr)
1. to snub, reject, or refuse (a person offering help or sympathy, an offer of help, etc) abruptly or out of hand
2. to beat back (an attack); repel
n
3. a blunt refusal or rejection; snub
4. any sudden check to progress or action
[C16: from Old French rebuffer, from Italian ribuffare, from ribuffo a reprimand, from ri- re- + buffo puff, gust, apparently of imitative origin]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

re•buff

(rɪˈbʌf)

n.
1. a blunt or abrupt rejection, as of unwelcome advances.
2. a peremptory refusal of a request, offer, etc.
3. a check to action or progress.
v.t.
4. to give a rebuff to; check; repel.
[1580–90; < Middle French rebuffer < Italian ribuffare to disturb, reprimand]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

rebuff


Past participle: rebuffed
Gerund: rebuffing

Imperative
rebuff
rebuff
Present
I rebuff
you rebuff
he/she/it rebuffs
we rebuff
you rebuff
they rebuff
Preterite
I rebuffed
you rebuffed
he/she/it rebuffed
we rebuffed
you rebuffed
they rebuffed
Present Continuous
I am rebuffing
you are rebuffing
he/she/it is rebuffing
we are rebuffing
you are rebuffing
they are rebuffing
Present Perfect
I have rebuffed
you have rebuffed
he/she/it has rebuffed
we have rebuffed
you have rebuffed
they have rebuffed
Past Continuous
I was rebuffing
you were rebuffing
he/she/it was rebuffing
we were rebuffing
you were rebuffing
they were rebuffing
Past Perfect
I had rebuffed
you had rebuffed
he/she/it had rebuffed
we had rebuffed
you had rebuffed
they had rebuffed
Future
I will rebuff
you will rebuff
he/she/it will rebuff
we will rebuff
you will rebuff
they will rebuff
Future Perfect
I will have rebuffed
you will have rebuffed
he/she/it will have rebuffed
we will have rebuffed
you will have rebuffed
they will have rebuffed
Future Continuous
I will be rebuffing
you will be rebuffing
he/she/it will be rebuffing
we will be rebuffing
you will be rebuffing
they will be rebuffing
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been rebuffing
you have been rebuffing
he/she/it has been rebuffing
we have been rebuffing
you have been rebuffing
they have been rebuffing
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been rebuffing
you will have been rebuffing
he/she/it will have been rebuffing
we will have been rebuffing
you will have been rebuffing
they will have been rebuffing
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been rebuffing
you had been rebuffing
he/she/it had been rebuffing
we had been rebuffing
you had been rebuffing
they had been rebuffing
Conditional
I would rebuff
you would rebuff
he/she/it would rebuff
we would rebuff
you would rebuff
they would rebuff
Past Conditional
I would have rebuffed
you would have rebuffed
he/she/it would have rebuffed
we would have rebuffed
you would have rebuffed
they would have rebuffed
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.rebuff - a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)rebuff - a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)
offense, offensive activity, discourtesy, offence - a lack of politeness; a failure to show regard for others; wounding the feelings or others
cold shoulder, snub, cut - a refusal to recognize someone you know; "the snub was clearly intentional"
silent treatment - an aloof refusal to speak to someone you know
2.rebuff - an instance of driving away or warding offrebuff - an instance of driving away or warding off
rejection - the speech act of rejecting
Verb1.rebuff - reject outright and bluntly; "She snubbed his proposal"
freeze off, spurn, pooh-pooh, disdain, scorn, turn down, reject - reject with contempt; "She spurned his advances"
2.rebuff - force or drive back; "repel the attacker"; "fight off the onslaught"; "rebuff the attack"
fight down, oppose, fight, fight back, defend - fight against or resist strongly; "The senator said he would oppose the bill"; "Don't fight it!"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

rebuff

verb
1. reject, decline, refuse, turn down, cut, check, deny, resist, slight, discourage, put off, snub, spurn, knock back (slang), brush off (slang), repulse, cold-shoulder He wanted sex with Julie but she rebuffed him.
reject encourage, welcome, submit to, lead on (informal)
noun
1. rejection, defeat, snub, knock-back, check, opposition, slight, refusal, denial (slang), brush-off (slang), repulse, thumbs down, cold shoulder, slap in the face (informal), kick in the teeth (slang), discouragement The results of the poll dealt a humiliating rebuff to Mr Jones.
rejection welcome, come-on (informal), encouragement, thumbs up
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

rebuff

noun
A deliberate slight:
Informal: cold shoulder, go-by.
verb
To slight (someone) deliberately:
Informal: coldshoulder.
Idioms: close the door on, give someone the cold shoulder, give someone the go-by, turn one's back on.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
صَد، رَد، رَفْضيَصُد، يَرُد، يَرْفُض
briskně odmítnoutodmrštění
affejeaffejelse
hafna á hranalegan hátthranaleg höfnun, synjun
duoti atkirtįgriežtai atmestigriežtas atsisakymas
atraidījumsatraidītatteikumsnoraidīt
odbiťodbitie
terslemeterslemek

rebuff

[rɪˈbʌf]
A. Ndesaire m, rechazo m
to meet with a rebuffsufrir un desaire or rechazo
B. VTrechazar, desairar
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

rebuff

[rɪˈbʌf]
nrebuffade f
vtrepousser
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

rebuff

nAbfuhr f, → kurze Zurückweisung; to suffer a rebuffzurück- or abgewiesen werden, eine Abfuhr bekommen; (from opposite sex) → einen Korb bekommen (inf)
vtzurückweisen or abweisen, einen Korb geben (+dat) (inf)
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

rebuff

[rɪˈbʌf]
1. nsecco rifiuto
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

rebuff

(riˈbaf) noun
an unkind or unfriendly refusal or rejection.
verb
to reject or refuse in an unkind of unfriendly way. He rebuffed all the attempts of his friends to help him.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
References in classic literature ?
Macaulay would really have liked it; I dare say he would not have valued the friendship of the sort of a youth I was, but in the conditions he was helpless, and I poured out my love upon him without a rebuff. Of course I reformed my prose style, which had been carefully modelled upon that of Goldsmith and Irving, and began to write in the manner of Macaulay, in short, quick sentences, and with the prevalent use of brief Anglo-Saxon words, which he prescribed, but did not practise.
He seemed, indeed, singularly fond of his own company--or, as the PERSONNEL of the Advance expressed it, "grossly addicted to evil associations." But then it should be said in justice to the stranger that the PERSONNEL was himself of a too convivial disposition fairly to judge one differently gifted, and had, moreover, experienced a slight rebuff in an effort at an "interview."
There is a certain embarrassment about applying to the average American hotel clerk, a certain hesitancy, a sense of insecurity against rebuff; but you feel no embarrassment in your intercourse with the portier; he receives your propositions with an enthusiasm which cheers, and plunges into their accomplishment with an alacrity which almost inebriates.
Perhaps, for he was a very vain man, he was more hurt that Henry had seen him rebuffed than by the rebuff itself.
I have seen him wringing his hands after such a rebuff, and I am sure the annoyance and the terror he lived in must have greatly hastened his early and unhappy death.
A fear of rebuff prevented him from affability, and he concealed his shyness, which was still intense, under a frigid taciturnity.
She dealt out her smiles and favors like Royalty itself; she had never once known a rebuff. This afternoon she felt that she had received one.
Kwaque passed off the rebuff with a silly gibbering laugh and started to step nearer the door to be in readiness to open it at his master's coming.
She laughed a little at the impotence of her rebuff and paused for a moment to make her next shot.
Glauber went home seriously indisposed at his rebuff, took a cooling draught, and is now quite cured.
At the chalet, Smilash, indifferent to the price of coals, kept up a roaring fire that glowed through the uncurtained windows, and tantalized the chilled wayfarer who did not happen to know, as the herdsmen of the neighborhood did, that he was welcome to enter and warm himself without risk of rebuff from the tenant.
Cunning hints inviting confidence she rebuffed with violence.