reject
/rɪˈdʒekt/·리젝트·verb
to refuse
LatinCEFR B1
Root
re- (back) + Latin 'jacere' (to throw)
Latin rejectus (thrown back) → Middle French rejecter → English reject
In a word
re- (back) + ject (throw) = 'throw back instead of receiving'. By root, rejection isn't just "not accepting" — it carries the small extra act of throwing the thing back. When you press a "reject" button, your finger is mimicking that old gesture.
Examples
They rejected our offer.
The system rejected my password.
Don't take rejection personally.
Related
projectinjectobjectsubjectrejection