Dismissive means treating something or someone as unimportant or not worth your attention. When you're dismissive, you brush aside what others say or do, acting like it doesn't matter or isn't worth considering.

A teacher might be dismissive of a student's question by saying “That's not important right now” without really listening. A friend could be dismissive of your excitement about something you care about, responding with just “Whatever” or an eye roll. When someone presents a careful idea and another person waves their hand and says “That won't work” without even thinking about it, that's being dismissive.

A dismissive attitude or dismissive tone signals that you think something isn't worth your time. People can be dismissive without realizing it, but it usually makes others feel like their thoughts and feelings don't count.