What does rejecting mean?
Rejecting means refusing to accept, agree to, or approve something, often because it does not meet required standards. The word is widely used for proposals, applications, offers, theories, and other things presented for approval: a committee may reject a funding proposal, while a publisher rejects a manuscript. It can also mean dismissing or sending something back, as when a business rejects a returned product. Rejecting generally carries a firm, decisive tone and may imply that the rejected thing has failed a specified standard. In everyday conversation, the more familiar word “say no” is often used instead, but “rejecting” is especially appropriate when an assessment or formal decision is involved.
verbRefusing to accept, agree to, or approve something. As a present participle, it also means turning something away or sending it back.
- Refusing to accept, agree to, or approve something.
- Turning something away, dismissing it, or sending it back.
"The committee spent hours rejecting proposals that failed to meet the project’s requirements."
"The editor rejected the article because its claims were insufficiently supported."
"She spent the morning rejecting sales pitches from unfamiliar companies."
To reject is literally to throw something back: the word descends from Latin re-, “back,” and jacere, “to throw.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does rejecting come from?
The word comes from Latin re-, meaning “back,” and jacere, meaning “to throw,” giving the original sense of “throw back.” English adopted “reject” in the early 16th century for the act of refusing or dismissing. Related words include “rejection” and “rejectable,” while the modern form “rejecting” follows the ordinary English pattern of adding -ing to a verb.
Related word forms
How rejecting is actually used
“Rejecting” is the present participle of “reject” and is common in formal and informal contexts. It can describe either refusing to approve a proposal or physically sending an item back.
Easily confused with rejecting
Rejecting means refusing to accept or approve something, whereas neglecting means failing to give it the attention or care it requires.