What does spurn mean?
Spurn is a verb meaning to reject or refuse something with contempt, disdain, or deliberate distaste. It is commonly used with offers, gifts, opportunities, proposals, and people, and it suggests more than an ordinary refusal: the thing rejected is treated as unworthy or offensive. The phrase to spurn an offer is especially established, while uses such as spurning love or spurning a chance have a more literary or dramatic character. Spurn can also describe rejecting a person or an idea because of a strong sense of moral or personal opposition. Although it can express a principled rejection, its connotations are generally negative and severe rather than neutral.
verbTo reject or refuse something with contempt or disdain, especially an offer, opportunity, or person. It can also mean to reject something deliberately or scornfully.
- To reject, refuse, or turn down an offer, opportunity, or proposal.
- To reject or despise someone or something with contempt.
- To reject something as unacceptable or unworthy.
"She spurned the offer of a promotion in another city."
"The scholar spurned the invitation to join the controversial committee."
"He spurned the gift rather than accept the conditions attached to it."
To spurn something is to reject it not merely passively, but with a sense of disdain.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does spurn come from?
The word comes from Old English spurnan, meaning to reject or despise, and ultimately from a Proto-Germanic verb with cognates in several Germanic languages. Its development reflects the longstanding Germanic sense of rejecting, resisting, or turning something away. Related forms include German spüren, Dutch spuren, Old Norse sporna, and Danish spørne, although their modern meanings and uses vary.
Related word forms
How spurn is actually used
Spurn is more forceful and contemptuous than simply refuse or reject. It is often used in formal, literary, or deliberately elevated language, as in the phrase to spurn an offer.