dismissverb
uk/dɪˈsmɪs/us/dɪˈsmɪs/dismiss verb (NOT TAKE SERIOUSLY)
C1 [ T ] to decide that something or someone is not important and not worth considering:
I think he'd dismissed me as an idiot within five minutes of meeting me.
Let's not just dismiss the idea before we've even thought about it.
Just dismiss those thoughts from your mind - they're crazy and not worth thinking about.
More examples
- The M.P.'s speech was dismissed by her opponents as crude electioneering.
- The call for a one-day national strike was dismissed as gesture politics.
- The prime minister's proposal was immediately dismissed as a back door tax increase.
- Rumours that they are about to marry have been dismissed as pure speculation.
- He dismissed Bryan as nothing more than an amateur.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Treating as unimportant
- blow
- blow sth/sb off
- brush sb/sth aside
- denigrate
- deprecate
- derogate
- derogate from sth
- laugh
- play fast and loose with sth/sb idiom
- pour
- pour scorn on sb/sth idiom
- scorn
- scornful
- scruple
- shrug
- talk
- talk sth down
- wave
- write
- write sb/sth off
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dismiss verb (END JOB)
C1 [ T often passive ] to remove someone from their job, especially because they have done something wrong:
He has been dismissed from his job for incompetence.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Firing staff
- axe
- be out on your ear idiom
- chop
- constructive dismissal
- defrock
- delayering
- get the push idiom
- give sb the heave-ho idiom
- grass
- heave-ho
- invalid sb out
- lay sb off
- pension
- relieve
- removal
- remove
- retire
- sack
- sacking
- shakeout
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dismiss verb (SEND AWAY)
[ T ] to formally ask or order someone to leave:
The professor dismissed the class early because she had a meeting.
[ T ] When a judge dismisses a court case, he or she formally stops the trial, often because there is not enough proof that someone is guilty:
The defending lawyer asked that the charge against his client be dismissed.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Evicting and forcing to leave
- boot
- boot sb off (sth)
- boot sb out (of sth)
- chuck
- chuck sb out
- clear sb off sth
- dislodge
- flight
- fling sth/sb out
- flush sb/sth out
- kick
- kick sb out
- pack sb off
- sling sb out
- smoke
- smoke sb/sth out
- throw
- throw sb out
- turf sb out
- turn sb out
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Judges & juries