To reject means to refuse to accept, consider, or agree to something. When you reject an idea, you're saying no to it. When a college rejects an application, they've decided not to admit that student. When your body rejects a food, it can't tolerate it and makes you sick.

Rejection happens in many contexts. A publisher might reject a manuscript, meaning they won't publish it. A scientist might reject a hypothesis after experiments prove it wrong. You might reject an invitation to a party you don't want to attend. When a group of friends rejects someone, they exclude that person, which can hurt deeply.

The word carries a sense of pushing away or turning down something offered. It's stronger than simply saying no: rejection means the decision is firm and not open to discussion. A student whose paper gets rejected by the school newspaper is being told their work won't be used, and the decision stands.

Being rejected can feel discouraging, especially when you've worked hard on something. Rejection is a normal part of life. Many successful writers had dozens of books rejected before one got published.