Rebuff
/ˌriːˈbʌf/noun
To reject or repel someone or something abruptly or bluntly.
Did you know?Rebuff entered English in the 16th century from French rebuffe, originally meaning a sudden blow or slap, so the word for dismissal was once literally a strike.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*buffōną
“To strike or beat”
Old French
OF
rebuffe
“A sudden blow, slap, or repulse”
16th Century
English
rebuff
“A repulse in action or a sharp blow”
Modern English
English
rebuff
“To reject or repel bluntly”