Her proposal received a sharp rebuff from the committee, leaving her feeling disheartened.
synonyms
dismissalsnubrejection
word origin — from the French 'rebuffe', derived from the verb 'rebuff' meaning to repel or reject, which comes from the Italian 'ribuffare'.
SAT Vocabulary Level 3 — Set 114
Set 114 of SAT Vocabulary Level 3 covers 5 words: rebuff, prude, unconcern, pretext, malingerer. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.
rebuff · noun/rɪˈbʌf/
a blunt or abrupt rejection or refusal
Her proposal received a sharp rebuff from the committee, leaving her feeling disheartened.
Synonyms: dismissal, snub, rejection
Origin: from the French 'rebuffe', derived from the verb 'rebuff' meaning to repel or reject, which comes from the Italian 'ribuffare'.
prude · noun/prud/
a person who is overly concerned with propriety or modesty
Despite the light-hearted nature of the party, she was a real prude and refused to engage in any jokes that she deemed inappropriate.
Synonyms: puritan, priss, goody-goody
Origin: Derived from the French word 'prude,' which means 'chaste, modest,' originating from the Latin word 'prode,' meaning 'virtuous, good.'
unconcern · noun/ʌn.kənˈsɝn/
lack of worry or interest in something
Her unconcern about the deadline surprised her colleagues, who were all stressed out.
Synonyms: indifference, apathy, detachment
Origin: The word 'unconcern' originates from the prefix 'un-' meaning 'not' and the noun 'concern,' which comes from the Latin 'concernere,' meaning 'to sift together.'
pretext · noun/ˈpriˌtɛkst/
a reason or excuse given to justify an action that is not the real reason
She left the meeting early under the pretext of having a prior engagement, but the real reason was to avoid discussing the budget issues.
Synonyms: excuse, pretense, justification
Origin: from Latin 'praetextus', meaning 'adorned' or 'disguised', from 'prae-' meaning 'before' and 'textus' meaning 'to weave'.
malingerer · noun/məˈlɪŋɡər/
a person who pretends to be ill or injured to avoid work or duty
The manager was quick to identify the malingerer among his staff, as he had taken multiple sick days without any valid reason.
Synonyms: shirker, idler, slacker
Origin: The word 'malinger' is derived from the French word 'malingre,' meaning 'to feign illness.' The term gained popularity in the English language in the 19th century.