Dictionary

dismiss en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /dɪzˈmɪs/ (UK)
• (US) audio
• (Australia) audio
• /dɪsˈmɪs/

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ ▲ Proto-Indo-European *trísinflu. Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dī- Proto-Indo-European *mey-? Proto-Indo-European *meyth₂- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *méyth₂eti Proto-Italic *meitō Old Latin mītō Latin mittō Latin dīmittō, ~mittĕre, ~mīsī, ~missumlbor. Middle English dismissen /dismisen English dismiss Middle English, from Latin dimissus (“sent away, dismissed, banished”), perfect passive participle of dīmittō (“send away, dismiss”), from dis- + mittere (“to send”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To discharge; to end the employment or service of.
   • The company dismissed me after less than a year.
2. (transitive) To order to leave.
   • The soldiers were dismissed after the parade.
3. (transitive) To dispel; to rid one’s mind of.
   • He dismissed all thoughts of acting again.
4. (transitive) To reject; to refuse to accept.
   • “He was here,” observed Drina composedly, “and father was angry with him.” ¶ “What?” exclaimed Eileen. “When?” ¶ “This morning, before father went downtown.” ¶ Both Selwyn and Lansing cut in coolly, dismissing the matter with a careless word or two; and coffee was served—cambric tea in Drina’s case. 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter IV, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
   • The late Professor Pat White was an outspoken critic. In his 1986 book Forgotten Railways, he dismissed as smoke and mirrors the oft-used argument that 33% of rail routes carried only 1% of the traffic, as it ignores the fact that a third of the national road network also only carried 2% of cars and lorries. But unlike rail, road got away with it because no mention was made of how much it cost the taxpayer to keep them usable. 2023 March 8, Howard Johnston, “Was Marples the real railway wrecker?”, in RAIL, number 978, page 53:
   • The court dismissed the case.
   • She dismissed the idea as ridiculous.
5. (transitive) To invalidate; to treat as unworthy of serious consideration.
   • By telling the victim to "get over it", the listener dismissed the victim's feelings.
   • As for the IRP, Secretary of State Grant Shapps continues to peddle snake oil, smoke and mirrors. His reaction to near-universal IRP condemnation from politicians, local and national media, and all but a few rail specialists was to dismiss the lot of us (in the condescending and patronising tone we have now come to expect) as "critics and naysayers". 2022 January 12, Nigel Harris, “Comment: Unhappy start to 2022”, in RAIL, number 948, page 3:
6. (transitive) To send or put away, to discard with disregard, contempt or disdain. (sometimes followed by as).
   • She dismissed him with a wave of the hand.
7. (transitive) To get a batsman out.
   • He was dismissed for 99 runs.
8. (transitive) To give someone a red card; to send off.
   • Kalinic later saw red for a rash tackle on Paul Scharner before Gabriel Tamas was dismissed for bringing down Diouf. 2010 December 28, Kevin Darlin, “West Brom 1-3 Blackburn”, in BBC:

Forms

Coordinates

send someone packing · brush off · send someone to the showers

Deriveds

dismissably · dismissee · redismiss · dismisser · dismissible · dismissable

Relateds

dismissal · dismission · dismissive

Synonyms

lay off (to end the employment or service of)

Translations (182)

nb avskjedige (to order to leave) · it congedare (to discharge) · hu elbocsát (to discharge) · pt arquivar (to reject, refuse to accept) · sv entlediga (to order to leave) · es desestimar (to invalidate; to treat as unworthy of serious consideration) · hu felmond (to discharge) · es cesantear (to discharge) · nl wegwuiven (to send or put away, to discard with disregard, contempt or disdain) · ca rebutjar (to reject, refuse to accept) · ur بَرْخاسْت (to discharge) · uk відпуска́ти (to order to leave) · de sich verabschieden von (to dispel) · fi unohtaa (to dispel) · pt dispensar (to discharge) · or ବରଖାସ୍ତ (to discharge) · ru увольня́ть (to discharge) · uk звільни́ти (to discharge) · ca despedir (to discharge) · gd cuir à dreuchd (to discharge) · az çıxarmaq (to discharge) · it archiviare (to reject, refuse to accept) · it in libertà (to order to leave) · pt rejeitar (to reject, refuse to accept) · ro demite (to discharge) · it mandare via (to discharge) · fr retirer (cricket: to get a batsman out) · hu ejt (to reject, refuse to accept) · fi irtisanoa (to discharge) · uk звільня́ти (to discharge) · hu távozást engedélyez (to order to leave) · de missachten (to invalidate; to treat as unworthy of serious consideration) · mn халах (to discharge) · vi gạt bỏ (to dispel) · vi bác bỏ (to reject, refuse to accept) · hu elutasít (to reject, refuse to accept) · nl wegsturen (to order to leave) · fr renvoyer (to discharge) · lus hnawt darh (to dispel) · pt dispensar (to order to leave) · az kənar etmək (to discharge) · hu feloszlat (to order to leave) · be зво́льніць (to discharge) · vi đuổi (to discharge) · vi đuổi (to order to leave) · es despedir (to discharge) · nl afwimpelen (to send or put away, to discard with disregard, contempt or disdain) · eo forsendi (to order to leave) · pl zakończyć (to reject, refuse to accept) · pt demitir (to discharge) · fr limoger (to discharge) · ru отклоня́ть (to reject, refuse to accept) · mi whakaparahako (to dispel) · nb avferdige (to dispel) · nl ontslaan (to discharge) · es desechar (to invalidate; to treat as unworthy of serious consideration) · fi hylätä (to reject, refuse to accept) · ota قوغمق (to order to leave) · de nicht weiter beachten (to invalidate; to treat as unworthy of serious consideration) · sv avfärda (to reject, refuse to accept) · nl wegdrukken (to dispel) · he לפטר (to discharge) · sv sparka (to discharge) · de einstellen (to reject, refuse to accept) · ko 해고하다 (to discharge) · nl afwijzen (to reject, refuse to accept) · it rompere le righe (to order to leave) · vi bác (to reject, refuse to accept) · ru отпуска́ть (to order to leave) · it scacciare (to dispel) · es sobreseer (to invalidate; to treat as unworthy of serious consideration) · bg отхвърлям (to reject, refuse to accept) · es dejar salir (to order to leave) · de entlassen (to discharge) · ro alunga (to order to leave) · hu elküld (to send or put away, to discard with disregard, contempt or disdain) · nl negeren (to invalidate; to treat as unworthy of serious consideration) · hu elküld (to discharge) · de fallen lassen (to reject, refuse to accept) · fi hylätä (to dispel) · fi sanoa irti (to discharge) · nb avskjedige (to discharge) · hu elvet (to send or put away, to discard with disregard, contempt or disdain) · nb avvise (to reject, refuse to accept) · lus kaltír (to order to leave) · ru уво́лить (to discharge) · de abweisen (to reject, refuse to accept) · cmn 解僱 /解雇 (to discharge) · fr licencier (to discharge) · pt dispensar (to reject, refuse to accept) · lus bàn (to discharge) · vi xua đuổi (to dispel) · hu elbocsát (to send or put away, to discard with disregard, contempt or disdain) · nl de laan uitsturen (to discharge) · de beiseiteschieben (to send or put away, to discard with disregard, contempt or disdain) · vi đánh (cricket: to get a batsman out) · de kündigen (to discharge) · sw kuaga (to order to leave) · mi ākiri (to discharge) · de übergehen (to invalidate; to treat as unworthy of serious consideration) · mi whakahoe (to send or put away, to discard with disregard, contempt or disdain) · sv upplösa (to discharge) · sv avvisa (to reject, refuse to accept) · hu elutasít (to send or put away, to discard with disregard, contempt or disdain) · nb dimittere (to order to leave) · grc ἀποδοκιμάζω (to reject, refuse to accept) · cs propustit (to discharge) · fi häätää (to order to leave) · de wegfegen (to send or put away, to discard with disregard, contempt or disdain) · es romper filas (to order to leave) · ar طَرَدَ (to discharge) · be звальня́ць (to discharge) · lus hnar (to reject, refuse to accept) · ca destituir (to discharge) · ca acomiadar (to discharge) · es terminar (to order to leave) · hu elűz (to dispel) · ru отклони́ть (to reject, refuse to accept) · gl despedir (to discharge) · vi sa thải (to discharge) · hu elhesseget (to dispel) · ja 解雇する (to discharge) · fi ajaa pois (to order to leave) · ar أَقَالَ (to discharge) · nl onderdrukken (to dispel) · de fahren lassen (to dispel) · es echar (to discharge) · nb avvise (to invalidate; to treat as unworthy of serious consideration) · ro revoca (to discharge) · es cagarse en la noticia (to invalidate; to treat as unworthy of serious consideration) · ota قوغمق (to dispel) · fr rompez (to order to leave) · es despedir (to order to leave) · pt descartar (to dispel) · hu elenged (to order to leave) · eo eksigi (to discharge) · pl zakańczać (to reject, refuse to accept) · de entlassen (to order to leave) · de zurückweisen (to reject, refuse to accept) · nb avfeie (to invalidate; to treat as unworthy of serious consideration) · sv skingra (to order to leave) · vi giải tán (to order to leave) · mi whakamahea (to dispel) · ro destitui (to discharge) · az kənarlaşdırmaq (to discharge) · es tachar (to invalidate; to treat as unworthy of serious consideration) · de abwimmeln (to send or put away, to discard with disregard, contempt or disdain) · az azad etmək (to discharge) · yi משלח זײַן (to order to leave) · it mandar via (to reject, refuse to accept) · nb sparke (to discharge) · nb avfeie (to dispel) · vi bỏ (to reject, refuse to accept) · sv entlediga (to discharge) · az işdən çıxarmaq (to discharge) · mi whakahoe (to reject, refuse to accept) · it respingere (to reject, refuse to accept) · fr renvoyer (to order to leave) · hu „oszolj” (to order to leave) · de von dannen schicken (to send or put away, to discard with disregard, contempt or disdain) · nb avfeie (to send or put away, to discard with disregard, contempt or disdain) · fi erottaa (to discharge) · bg уволня́вам (to discharge) · es permitir retirarse (to order to leave) · it licenziare (to discharge) · vi thải hồi (to discharge) · es darle poca importancia a (to invalidate; to treat as unworthy of serious consideration) · it dimettere (to discharge) · lus hnâwl (to reject, refuse to accept) · lus chhuah (to order to leave) · nl weigeren (to reject, refuse to accept) · ro concedia (to discharge) · de wegtreten lassen (to order to leave) · es quitarle/restarle importancia a (to invalidate; to treat as unworthy of serious consideration) · bg отпращам (to order to leave) · sv avskeda (to discharge) · fr rejeter (to reject, refuse to accept) · it rigettare (to reject, refuse to accept) · sv avfärda (to dispel) · de aufgeben (to dispel) · fi tyrmätä (to reject, refuse to accept) · fr démettre (to discharge)