dismiss

/dəˈsmɪs/

/dɪsˈmɪs/

Other forms: dismissed; dismissing; dismisses

At the end of a lesson period, your teacher says, "class dismissed." This means that you and the rest of the students are free to go.

Dismiss means to let go. If a judge dismisses a case, it means he's saying it has no merit, and is throwing it out of court. If you are dismissed from your job, it means you've been fired. And if you've been ignoring your friends' warnings that your boyfriend is cheating, you've been dismissing their concerns. "Don't dismiss me!" is something you say when the person you're talking to is not taking you and your comments seriously.

Definitions of dismiss

1. verb

   stop associating with
   synonyms: drop, send away, send packing

   drop

   terminate an association with

   type of:

   can, displace, fire, force out, give notice, give the axe, give the sack, sack, send away, terminate

   terminate the employment of; discharge from an office or position
2. verb

   bar from attention or consideration
   “She dismissed his advances”

   synonyms: brush aside, brush off, discount, disregard, ignore, push aside

   types:

   cold-shoulder, slight

   pay no attention to, disrespect

   discredit

   cause to be distrusted or disbelieved

   shrug off

   minimize the importance of, brush aside

   pass off

   disregard

   flout, scoff

   treat with contemptuous disregard

   turn a blind eye

   refuse to acknowledge

   laugh away, laugh off

   deal with a problem by laughing or pretending to be amused by it

   disoblige

   ignore someone's wishes

   type of:

   reject

   refuse to accept or acknowledge
3. verb

   end one's encounter with somebody by causing or permitting the person to leave
   “I was dismissed after I gave my report”

   synonyms: usher out

   type of:

   say farewell

   say good-bye or bid farewell
4. verb

   cease to consider; put out of judicial consideration
   “This case is dismissed!”

   synonyms: throw out
5. verb

   terminate the employment of; discharge from an office or position
   synonyms: can, displace, fire, force out, give notice, give the axe, give the sack, sack, send away, terminate

   types:

   retire

   make (someone) retire

   pension off

   let go from employment with an attractive pension

   clean out

   force out

   furlough, lay off

   dismiss from work, usually for economic reasons

   squeeze out

   force out

   drop, send away, send packing

   stop associating with

   superannuate

   retire and pension (someone) because of age or physical inability

   downsize

   dismiss from work

   type of:

   remove

   remove from a position or an office
6. verb

   declare void
   synonyms: dissolve

   break up, dissolve

   bring the association of to an end or cause to break up

   type of:

   alter, change, modify

   cause to change; make different; cause a transformation