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Many English verbs begin with the prefix re-, meaning “again” or “backward,” so we wouldn’t criticize you for drawing a connection between rebuff and buff, a verb meaning “to polish or shine.” But rebuff would beg to differ: this word comes to us from the Middle French verb rebuffer, which traces back to the Old Italian ribuffare, meaning “to reprimand.” (Buff, in contrast, comes from the Middle French noun buffle, meaning “wild ox”). A similar word, rebuke, shares the “criticize” sense of rebuff, but not the “reject” sense; one can rebuke another’s actions or policies, but one does not rebuke the advances of another, for example. Like rebuke, rebuff can also be used as a noun, as in “The proposal was met with a stern rebuff from the Board of Trustees.”
Examples of rebuff in a Sentence
Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 9 May 2025
On Sunday, federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents showed up to take one of the teens involved in the Times Square ambush into custody but were rebuffed by the NYPD, said Tisch, who added the NYPD doesn’t aid in civil deportation efforts.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 6 May 2025
Noah himself abandoned ship when his calls for a Jewish republic were rebuffed by religious leaders.
—Adam L. Rovner, The Conversation, 29 Apr. 2025
He was rebuffed on some probes before finding the Texans as a willing partner.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rebuff
Cite this Entry
“Rebuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebuff. Accessed 15 May. 2025.
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