MEANING
To reject an approach, offer, or request in a blunt or unfriendly manner.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- rebuff an advance
- rebuff an offer
- rebuff a request
On the page
She rebuffed his offer of protection before he could name its price.
The ambassador was rebuffed at the gate by a clerk who would not look up.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- rebuff
- Past tense
- rebuffed
- Past participle
- rebuffed
- Present participle
- rebuffing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- rebuff
- Present continuous
- am/is/are rebuffing
- Present perfect
- have/has rebuffed
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been rebuffing
- Past
- rebuffed
- Past continuous
- was/were rebuffing
- Past perfect
- had rebuffed
- Past perfect continuous
- had been rebuffing
- Future
- will rebuff
- Future continuous
- will be rebuffing
- Future perfect
- will have rebuffed
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been rebuffing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: rebuff; rebuffs; rebuffed; rebuffed; rebuffing Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: rebuffs.
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