Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense dismisses, present participle dismissing, past tense, past participle dismissed
1. verb
If you dismiss something, you decide or say that it is not important enough for you to think about or consider.
Mr Wakeham dismissed the reports as speculation. [VERB noun + as]
I would certainly dismiss any allegations of impropriety by the Labour Party. [VERB noun]
I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: reject, disregard, spurn, repudiate More Synonyms of dismiss
2. verb
If you dismiss something from your mind, you stop thinking about it.
I dismissed him from my mind. [VERB noun + from]
'It's been a lovely day,' she said, dismissing the episode. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: banish, drop, dispel, shelve More Synonyms of dismiss
3. verb
When an employer dismisses an employee, the employer tells the employee that they are no longer needed to do the job that they have been doing.
...the power to dismiss civil servants who refuse to work. [VERB noun]
The military commander has been dismissed. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: sack [informal], fire [informal], remove [informal], axe [informal] More Synonyms of dismiss
4. verb
If you are dismissed by someone in authority, they tell you that you can go away from them.
Two more witnesses were called, heard and dismissed. [beVERB-ed]
The hired carriage was dismissed. [beVERB-ed]
[Also VERB noun]
Synonyms: let go, free, release, discharge More Synonyms of dismiss
5. verb
When a judge dismisses a case against someone, he or she formally states that there is no need for a trial, usually because there is not enough evidence for the case to continue.
The High Court judge dismissed the claim. [VERB noun]
...their attempt to have the case against them dismissed. [have noun VERB-ed]
Synonyms: put out of your mind More Synonyms of dismiss
dismiss in British English
(dɪsˈmɪs)
verb(transitive)
1.
to remove or discharge from employment or service
2.
to send away or allow to go or disperse
3.
to dispel from one's mind; discard; reject
4.
to cease to consider (a subject)
they dismissed the problem
5.
to decline further hearing to (a claim or action)
the judge dismissed the case
6. cricket
to bowl out (a side) for a particular number of runs
sentence substitute
7. military
an order to end an activity or give permission to disperse
Derived forms
dismissible (disˈmissible)
adjective
dismissive (disˈmissive)
adjective
Word origin
C15: from Medieval Latin dismissus sent away, variant of Latin dīmissus, from dīmittere, from dī-dis-1 + mittere to send
dismiss in American English
(dɪsˈmɪs)
verb transitive
1.
to send away; cause or allow to leave
2.
to remove or discharge from a duty, office, position, or employment
3.
to put out of one's mind
to dismiss one's fears
4.
to remove from consideration or reject as lacking in importance or value
to dismiss our suggestions as irrelevant
5. Law
to discontinue or reject (a claim or action)
SIMILAR WORDS: eˈject
Derived forms
dismissible (disˈmissible)
adjective
Word origin
ME dismissen < ML dismissus, pp. of dismittere, for L dimittere, to send away < dis-, from + mittere, to send: see mission
Examples of 'dismiss' in a sentence
dismiss
It took a jury less than two hours to dismiss the case against him.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She dismissed suggestions that he had been abandoned by his family after his arrest.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Banks can dismiss their employees and sweep it under the carpet so the crimes are not recorded in official statistics.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
And in reserve there should be a power to dismiss employees who fail to return to work after reasonable notice has been given.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Throughout most of the 20th century he was dismissed as something of a dud in art historical circles.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But the internal report has dismissed the majority of accusations, leaving both sides in dispute over the findings.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But a judge in New York dismissed the case without offering his reasons.
The Sun (2016)
The company has dismissed any suggestions of espionage as a hangover from the Cold War.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The matter ended up in court and the case was dismissed.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Washington was quick to dismiss the allegations.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The lender dismissed the idea that a bubble was growing.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Such claims are often dismissed by employers but the research suggests these electric fields can cause harm.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The judge had also dismissed six other claims against two other employers.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Years of failure are dismissed as something belonging to another generation.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
He is similarly quick to dismiss suggestions that they are a literary power couple.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
He complains that it is far too difficult to dismiss employees.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
They dismissed reports a second man was involved in the attack.
The Sun (2008)
Competition watchdogs have dismissed concerns it would hurt consumers.
The Sun (2015)
No longer was there an attempt to dismiss the obvious with platitudes.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
He spent the best part of a year waiting for the allegations to be dismissed.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
But do not dismiss the idea as totally absurd.
Evans, Peter & Deehan, Geoff The Descent of Mind - the how and why of intelligence (1990)
My employers dismissed me soon after my diagnosis.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The judge dismissed the claim with costs.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
It is much harder to dismiss something you have told yourself.
Improve Your Landscape Painting
He dismissed suggestions that the brands were less exciting than some competitors.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
He has previously dismissed the allegations.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
They claim that evidence used to dismiss concerns about side-effects is flawed.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Then my solicitor told me they'd dismissed the case.
The Sun (2013)
What a disgusting, lazy attempt to dismiss the national scandal of rail overcrowding.
The Sun (2007)
In other languages
dismiss
British English: dismiss /dɪsˈmɪs/ VERB
If you dismiss something, you decide that it is not important enough for you to think about.
He dismissed the reports as speculation.
American English: dismiss
Arabic: يَصْرِفُ
Brazilian Portuguese: ignorar
Chinese: 解散
Croatian: odbaciti
Czech: pustit z hlavy
Danish: afvise
Dutch: terzijde schuiven
European Spanish: desestimar
Finnish: erottaa työstä
French: renvoyer réfuter
German: entlassen
Greek: απολύω
Italian: licenziare
Japanese: 解雇する
Korean: 해고하다
Norwegian: avskjedige
Polish: zwolnić
European Portuguese: demitir
Romanian: a îndepărta
Russian: отклонять
Latin American Spanish: despedir
Swedish: avskeda
Thai: ไม่สนใจ
Turkish: işten çıkarmak
Ukrainian: звільняти
Vietnamese: bỏ đi
All related terms of 'dismiss'
dismiss rumours
A rumour is a story or piece of information that may or may not be true, but that people are talking about.
dismiss a case
In law, a case is a trial or other legal inquiry .
dismiss criticism
Criticism is the action of expressing disapproval of something or someone. A criticism is a statement that expresses disapproval.
dismiss an idea
An idea is a plan , suggestion , or possible course of action.
dismiss the idea
An idea is a plan, suggestion , or possible course of action.
dismiss the notion
A notion is an idea or belief about something.
dismiss a complaint
A complaint is a statement in which you express your dissatisfaction with a particular situation.
dismiss an allegation
An allegation is a statement saying that someone has done something wrong.
dismiss an argument
An argument is a statement or set of statements that you use in order to try to convince people that your opinion about something is correct.
dismiss a possibility
If you say there is a possibility that something is the case or that something will happen , you mean that it might be the case or it might happen.
dismiss the allegations
An allegation is a statement saying that someone has done something wrong.
Chinese translation of 'dismiss'
dismiss
(dɪsˈmɪs)
vt
[worker]解雇(僱) (jiěgù)
(= send away) 让(讓) ... 离(離)开(開) (ràng ... líkāi)
[case, charge]驳(駁)回 (bóhuí)
[possibility, problem, idea]不考虑(慮) (bù kǎolǜ)
1 (verb)
Definition
to put out of one's mind
She dismissed the reports as mere speculation.
Synonyms
reject
Paloma has rejected the values of her rich parents.
disregard
spurn
a spurned lover
repudiate
He repudiated any form of nationalism.
pooh-pooh
Some people pooh-pooh the idea that gardens can be an art form.
2 (verb)
Definition
to put out of one's mind
I dismissed the thought from my mind.
Synonyms
banish
He has now banished all thoughts of retirement.
drop
The captain was dropped from the team.
dispel
He will hope to dispel their fears.
shelve
Sadly, the project has now been shelved.
discard
set aside
eradicate
cast out
lay aside
put out of your mind
3 (verb)
Definition
to remove (an employee) from a job
the power to dismiss civil servants who refuse to work
Synonyms
sack (informal)
They were sacked for financial mismanagement.
fire (informal)
She was fired from her job.
remove (informal)
The senate voted to remove him.
axe (informal)
He was axed by the club after his comments about a referee.
expel
secondary school students expelled for cheating in exams
discharge
He was dishonourably discharged from the army.
oust
The leaders have been ousted from power by nationalists.
lay off
kick out (informal)
cashier
Many officers were cashiered on political grounds.
send (someone) packing (informal)
give (someone) notice
kiss off (slang, mainly US, Canadian)
give (someone) their marching orders
give (someone) the push (informal)
give (someone) the elbow
give (someone) the boot (slang)
give (someone) the bullet (British, slang)
give (someone) their P45 (British, informal)
give (someone) their pink slip (US, informal)
kennet (Australian, slang)
jeff (Australian, slang)
4 (verb)
Definition
to allow (someone) to leave
Two more witnesses were called, heard and dismissed.
Synonyms
let go
free
They are going to free more prisoners.
release
He was released from custody the next day.
discharge
You are being discharged on medical grounds.
dissolve
The King agreed to dissolve the present commission.
liberate
How committed is the leadership to liberating its people from poverty?
disperse
The crowd dispersed peacefully.
disband
All the armed groups will be disbanded.
send away
5 (verb)
their attempt to have the case against them dismissed
Synonyms
put out of your mind
Additional synonyms
in the sense of axe
Definition
to dismiss (employees), restrict (expenditure), or terminate (a project)
He was axed by the club after his comments about a referee.
Synonyms
dismiss,
fire (informal),
sack (informal),
remove,
get rid of,
discharge,
throw out,
oust,
give (someone) their marching orders,
give the boot to (slang, old-fashioned),
give the bullet to (British, slang),
give the push to,
give (someone) their P45 (British, informal),
give (someone) their pink slip (US, informal),
kennet (Australian, slang),
jeff (Australian, slang)
in the sense of cashier
Definition
to dismiss with dishonour from the armed forces
Many officers were cashiered on political grounds.
Synonyms
dismiss,
discharge,
expel,
cast off,
drum out,
give the boot to (slang)
in the sense of disband
Definition
to stop or cause to stop functioning as a unit or group