- rebuff
- transitive verb Etymology: Middle French rebuffer, from Old Italian ribuffare to reprimand, from ribuffo reprimand Date: circa 1586 to reject or criticize sharply ; snub • rebuff noun
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
rebuff
Look at other dictionaries:
Rebuff — Re*buff (r[ e]*b[u^]f ), n. [It. ribuffo, akin to ribuffare to repulse; pref. ri (L. re ) + buffo puff. Cf. {Buff} to strike, {Buffet} a blow.] 1. Repercussion, or beating back; a quick and sudden resistance. [1913 Webster] The strong rebuff of… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
rebuff — [n] turning away; ignoring brushoff*, check, cold shoulder*, cut, defeat, denial, discouragement, go by*, hard time*, insult, kick in the teeth*, nix*, nothing doing*, opposition, rebuke, refusal, rejection, reprimand, repulse, slight, snub,… … New thesaurus
Rebuff — Re*buff , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Rebuffed} (r[ e]*b[u^]ft ); p. pr. & vb. n. {Rebuffing}.] To beat back; to offer sudden resistance to; to check; to repel or repulse violently, harshly, or uncourteously. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
rebuff — I noun admonition, censure, check, chiding, cold shoulder, condemnation, counteraction, criticism, defeat, defiance, disapproval, discouragement, discourtesy, disregard, flat refusal, insult, opposition, peremptory refusal, rebuke, recoil,… … Law dictionary
rebuff — ► VERB ▪ reject in an abrupt or ungracious manner. ► NOUN ▪ an abrupt rejection. ORIGIN obsolete French rebuffer, from Italian buffo a gust, puff … English terms dictionary
rebuff — [ri buf′] n. [MFr rebuffe < It rabbuffo < rabbuffare, to disarrange, altered by metathesis (prob. infl. by buffare, to blow) < baruffare, to scuffle < Langobardic * biraufan, akin to OHG biroufan, to tussle, pluck out] 1. an abrupt,… … English World dictionary
rebuff — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ sharp ▪ humiliating ▪ electoral (BrE) ▪ The party suffered a humiliating electoral rebuff in 1945. VERB + REBUFF ▪ … Collocations dictionary
rebuff — UK [rɪˈbʌf] / US verb [transitive] Word forms rebuff : present tense I/you/we/they rebuff he/she/it rebuffs present participle rebuffing past tense rebuffed past participle rebuffed formal to refuse to talk to someone or do what they suggest… … English dictionary
rebuff — n. 1) to meet with a rebuff 2) a polite; sharp rebuff * * * [rɪ bʌf] sharp rebuff a polite to meet with a rebuff … Combinatory dictionary
rebuff — {{11}}rebuff (n.) 1610s, from REBUFF (Cf. rebuff) (v.). {{12}}rebuff (v.) 1580s, from obsolete Fr. rebuffer to check, snub, from It. ribuffare to check, chide, snide, from ribuffo a snub, from ri back (from L. re , see RE (Cf. re )) + … Etymology dictionary
rebuff — [[t]rɪbʌ̱f[/t]] rebuffs, rebuffing, rebuffed VERB If you rebuff someone or rebuff a suggestion that they make, you refuse to do what they suggest. [V n] He wanted sex with Julie but she rebuffed him... [V n] His proposals have already been… … English dictionary
