When you hear no instead of yes, when something you hoped for doesn't work out, when someone turns down what you offered, you've experienced rejection. It's the act of refusing, dismissing, or saying no to something or someone.

Rejection happens in countless ways. A publisher might send an author a rejection letter explaining that they won't print her book. A college might reject an application. Your body's immune system can reject a transplanted organ because it recognizes it as foreign. A friend might reject your invitation to hang out, or a team might not pick you during tryouts.

You put yourself or your work out there, and it comes back unwanted.

Rejection often says more about fit than about worth. When an editor rejects a manuscript, it doesn't necessarily mean the writing is worthless. When you don't make the soccer team, it doesn't mean you're a failure. Sometimes the timing is wrong, sometimes the match isn't right, sometimes there simply isn't room.