rejected 1 of 2

adjective

ri-ˈjek-təd How to pronounce rejected (audio)
Definition of rejectednext
as in abandoned
left unoccupied or unused picked up the rejected toy to see what was wrong with it

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rejected

2 of 2

verb

past tense of reject
1
as in denied
to be unwilling to grant rejected his request for time off

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2
as in refuted
to declare not to be true I reject the claim that I have ever lied about that

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3
as in discarded
to get rid of as useless or unwanted sorted through the nuts and rejected any that had cracked shells or were shattered

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4
as in refused
to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to rejected his marriage proposal

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rejected
Verb
But others have rejected the idea that the system failed Clancy and have been highly critical of her supporters, including conservative commentators Matt Walsh and Megyn Kelly. — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 Last year, Manchester United were in discussions with him and made a loan bid in the latter stages of the summer transfer window which was rejected. — David Ornstein, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 On Friday, the Fourth Circuit rejected the disability discrimination, failure-to-accommodate and wrongful discharge claims. — Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 25 Aug. 2026 The appeal was filed against defendants AMCO and the City of Mount Dora, which had previously rejected the project and then lost that fight in court. — James Wilkins, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026 Peltola's campaign rejected the support of former Vice President Kamala Harris days ahead of the primary, after Harris' PAC sought to fundraise on her behalf. — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 Prosecutors also accused Robinson's attorneys of relying on case law that was later rejected by the Utah Supreme Court while failing to alert the judge to those later decisions. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026 Karmelo Anthony, now 19, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison after a suburban Dallas jury in June rejected his claims of self-defense during a confrontation with Austin Metcalf in the stadium bleachers last year. — Jamie Stengle, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026 Sheinbaum rejected suggestions that the visa cancellation itself was evidence of criminal conduct. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rejected
  1. abandoned
  2. denied
  3. refuted
  4. discarded
  5. refused
  6. deserted
  7. declined
  8. dumped
Adjective
  • By the time viewers reach hour 15, the staff has spent an entire shift navigating a cyberattack that forces the emergency department to abandon digital systems, a nonstop influx of Fourth of July emergencies and an abandoned baby.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
  • According to the gallery, the 25-minute film is set in a semi-abandoned hotel near Tokyo and reimagines the Greek myth of the goddess Persephone’s abduction by Hades.
    — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 16 June 2026
Definition of abandoned
Verb
  • The Attorney General’s Office could not be reached for comment on why the grant was denied.
    — Jake Ramsey, Oklahoma Watch, 30 Aug. 2026
  • If that application is denied, deportation could be a death sentence.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of denied
Verb
  • The State Department has refuted the allegations against Chen.
    — Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The State Department has refuted arguments that funding cuts contributed to a slower response to the virus.
    — Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of refuted
Verb
  • Potsherds discarded after an 11th-century feast at Etowah—an Indigenous city just north of what’s now Atlanta—contained traces of cacao, a raw ingredient of chocolate.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The salad that goes with the peas was discarded due to this action.
    — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of discarded
Verb
  • Kansas City, Kansas, schools also refused to sign a resolution agreement.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Having refused to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership in 2019, a group dominated by China, New Delhi has signed free trade agreements with New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.
    — C. Raja Mohan, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of refused
Adjective
  • Among all the far-off places, and all the deserted and unknown cities, among all the lawless, godless regions, the Guayrá was an oasis.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The red-brick Southeast Lighthouse, perched atop the Mohegan Bluffs, is all but deserted.
    — Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of deserted
Verb
  • Trump has declined so far to endorse a successor, opting to keep his cards close ahead of what’s likely to be a bitter race.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 29 Aug. 2026
  • When asked about the lack of any tributes or the evening’s plans to honor Nolan, the Ocean Springs School District declined to comment.
    — Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of declined
Verb
  • These men never anticipated being dumped in a New Jersey ditch so far from home.
    — Jennifer Janofsky, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Younger artists were nipping at her heels, and her record company dumped her.
    — Martha Ackmann, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of dumped

Browse Nearby Words

reject
rejected
rejecting
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Cite this Entry

“Rejected.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rejected. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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