spurn

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /spɝn/ UK /spɜːn/ See IPA manual

Freq #42874

Meanings

1

verb
reject with contempt

I spurned their advances.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · reject with contempt reject

More despise scorn contemn repudiate flout rebuff shun boycott

Opposites

deign

Word family

Forms spurnedspurningspurns

Derived forms spurnerspurninglyspurnwaterunspurned

Etymology

From Middle English spurnen, spornen, from Old English spurnan (“to strike against, kick, spurn, reject; stumble”), from Proto-Germanic *spurnaną (“to tread, kick, knock out”), from Proto-Indo-European *sperH-. Cognate with Scots spurn (“to strike, push, kick”), German spornen (“to spur on”), Icelandic sporna, spyrna (“to kick”), Latin spernō (“despise, distain, scorn”). Related to spur and spread.

*sperH- Proto-Indo-European spurnen Middle English spurnan Old English *spurnaną Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

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