Dismissed

/dɪsˈmɪst/

verbBeginner🔥Very CommonGeneral
3 meanings2 idioms/phrases4 questions

Definitions

3 meanings
1

To send someone away or allow them to leave.

/dɪsˈmɪst/

verbneutralBeginner
General

To order or allow someone to leave

The judge dismissed the case due to lack of evidence.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're at a meeting and the boss says, 'Okay, you're dismissed!' It means you're allowed to go home or leave the room.

👶 For kids: To tell someone they can go home or leave, like when school is over.

More Examples

2

The company dismissed many employees during the economic downturn.

3

After the presentation, the speaker dismissed the audience.

How It's Used

Education

"The teacher dismissed the students at the end of the class."

Work

"He was dismissed from his job for misconduct."

2

To treat something as unworthy of consideration; to reject.

/dɪsˈmɪst/

verbnegativemedium
General

To reject or disregard (something)

She dismissed his offer out of hand.

💡 Simply: If you dismiss something, you're saying it's not important or you don't believe it. Like, if your friend says aliens visited them, you might dismiss it.

👶 For kids: To say something is not important and to not pay attention to it.

More Examples

2

The committee dismissed the proposal without much discussion.

3

He dismissed the rumors as baseless.

How It's Used

Law

"The court dismissed the appeal."

Opinion

"He dismissed her concerns as unimportant."

Tip:Imagine dismissing someone's opinion by waving your hand and saying 'nonsense!'
3

To cause someone or something to be regarded as unimportant or unworthy of consideration; to put out of mind.

/dɪsˈmɪst/

verbneutralmedium
General

To remove from consideration or remove from one's mind

She tried to dismiss her fears before the interview.

💡 Simply: Imagine a bothersome thought in your head. Dismissing it is like pushing it away so you don't have to think about it anymore.

👶 For kids: To stop thinking about something you don't like.

More Examples

2

He dismissed the possibility of failure.

3

They dismissed the need for further investigation.

How It's Used

Personal

"He tried to dismiss the painful memories."

Strategic

"The chess player dismissed a potential move."

Tip:Think of closing a tab on a computer, dismissing a distracting thought.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Idioms & expressions

dismiss someone from one's thoughts

To stop thinking about or dwelling on a particular person or thing.

"After the argument, she tried to dismiss him from her thoughts."

dismiss as unimportant

To consider something as not significant.

"He dismissed the weather forecast as unimportant."

From Middle English *dismissen*, from Old French *dismisser* ("to send away, release, reject"), from Latin *dīmissus*, past participle of *dīmittere* ("to send away, let go"), from *dis-* ("away, apart") + *mittere* ("to send").

Historically used in legal and military contexts to signify the release or disbandment of personnel or cases.

Memory tip

Think of a teacher telling students to 'dis miss' at the end of the school day.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"to send away"

dismiss a casedismiss an employeedismiss the ideadismiss the suggestiondismiss as unimportant

Common misspellings

dismiseddismistdismessed

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written