Spurn
/spɜːrn/noun
To reject or refuse disdainfully.
Did you know?Its older forms trace back to a verb meaning to kick away or tread on something, so the word originally carried a physical gesture of scorn, not just a feeling.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
spurnan
“to kick, stumble against, or strike with the foot”
Middle English
ME
spurnen
“to kick at or disdainfully thrust away”
14th Century
English
spurn
“to reject with contempt or scorn”
Modern English
English
spurn
“to reject or refuse disdainfully”