spurn

1 of 3

verb

spurned; spurning; spurns
Synonyms of spurn

transitive verb

1
: to reject with disdain or contempt : scorn
spurned their offer
2
: to tread sharply or heavily upon : trample

intransitive verb

1
archaic : to reject something disdainfully
2
obsolete
a
spurner noun

spurn

2 of 3

noun (1)

1
a
: disdainful rejection
b
: contemptuous treatment
2
b
obsolete : stumble

spurner

3 of 3

noun (2)

spurn·​er
-nə(r)
plural -s
: one that spurns
Choose the Right Synonym for spurn

decline, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn mean to turn away by not accepting, receiving, or considering.

decline often implies courteous refusal especially of offers or invitations.

declined his party's nomination

refuse suggests more positiveness or ungraciousness and often implies the denial of something asked for.

refused to lend them the money

reject implies a peremptory refusal by sending away or discarding.

rejected the manuscript as unpublishable

repudiate implies a casting off or disowning as untrue, unauthorized, or unworthy of acceptance.

teenagers who repudiate the values of their parents

spurn stresses contempt or disdain in rejection or repudiation.

spurned his overtures of friendship

Examples of spurn in a Sentence

Verb fiercely independent, the elderly couple spurned all offers of financial help
Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
And many of the best and brightest scientists and researchers spurned by America are going to other countries and are hired by businesses abroad that compete with our own—including, as Lee anticipated, China. Robert Hormats, Time, 4 July 2026 Beulah's spurned heir Joaquin (Juan Pablo Raba) calls up the mysterious Mariana (Raoul Max Trujillo) to help with his many problems, which include his ranch-usurping half-brother Rob-Will and those Duttons from Montana. Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 3 July 2026 Labour spurned the chance to tell a positive story about the need to hike taxes to mend Britain’s public services, gutted by years of Conservative austerity. Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 22 June 2026 Just last week, UniQure announced it was cleared to submit an application for a Huntington’s disease gene therapy that the agency had previously spurned and that former commissioner Marty Makary appeared to disparage on national television. Jason Mast, STAT, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for spurn

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English spurnan; akin to Old High German spurnan to kick, Latin spernere to spurn, Greek spairein to quiver

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2a

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of spurn was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spurn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spurn. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

spurn

verb
ˈspərn
: to reject or thrust aside with scorn
spurner noun

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