: serving to dismiss or reject someone or something : having or showing a disdainful attitude toward someone or something regarded as unworthy of serious attention
He responded to the question with a dismissive wave.
In the past, Westerberg had been dismissive of Bob's playing, but he says relistening to the early records gave him a new perspective. Bob Weir
dismissively adverb
Writer Tom Fontana's violent, realistic drama debuted five years ago and uninitiated viewers still dismissively call it "that prison show on HBO." Ian Rothkerch
These are not people who speak dismissively of the brain's capabilities. Brad Leithauser
dismissiveness noun
The work of feminist scholars, both individually and collectively, has been greeted in some quarters with impatience, irritation, dismissiveness, even contempt. Cullen Murphy

Examples of dismissive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The two men were sneeringly dismissive of the court order requiring his return, offering an obviously absurd argument that neither country could facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return to the United States. Zack Beauchamp, Vox, 15 Apr. 2025 The manager at one restaurant was clearly not into magic and was being dismissive. Melody Wilding, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025 Trump’s dismissive reaction is perhaps due to a longtime disdain for many in the industry who have heavily supported his Democratic rivals through the years. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025 Yet no one else can quite believe that the Mafia have followed cocaine from tough Sicily to sleepy Apulia, least of all the dismissive Bari police chief, who reprimands Pietro for his maverick approach to detective work. Leo Barraclough, Variety, 9 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dismissive

Word History

First Known Use

1645, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dismissive was in 1645

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Cite this Entry

“Dismissive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dismissive. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

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