dismiss

English

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin dimissus (“sent away, dismissed, banished”), perfect passive participle of dīmittō (“send away, dismiss”), from dis- +‎ mittere (“to send”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɪsˈmɪs/
• (UK also) IPA^(key): /dɪzˈmɪs/
• Hyphenation: dis‧miss

• Audio (US)

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• Audio (AU)

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• Rhymes: -ɪs

Verb

dismiss (third-person singular simple present dismisses, present participle dismissing, simple past and past participle dismissed)

2. (transitive) To discharge; to end the employment or service of.

   The company dismissed me after less than a year.

3. (transitive) To order to leave.

   The soldiers were dismissed after the parade.

4. (transitive) To dispel; to rid one’s mind of.

   He dismissed all thoughts of acting again.

5. (transitive) To reject; to refuse to accept.

   The court dismissed the case.

   • 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter IV, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, OCLC 24962326:

     “He was here,” observed Drina composedly, “and father was angry with him.” ¶ “What?” exclaimed Eileen. “When?” ¶ “This morning, before father went downtown.” ¶ Both Selwyn and Lansing cut in coolly, dismissing the matter with a careless word or two; and coffee was served—cambric tea in Drina’s case.

6. (transitive) To send or put away, to discard with disregard, contempt or disdain. (sometimes followed by as).

   She dismissed him with a wave of the hand.

7. (transitive, cricket) To get a batsman out.

   He was dismissed for 99 runs.

8. (transitive, soccer) To give someone a red card; to send off.
   • 2010 December 28, Kevin Darlin, “West Brom 1-3 Blackburn”, in BBC:

     Kalinic later saw red for a rash tackle on Paul Scharner before Gabriel Tamas was dismissed for bringing down Diouf.

Synonyms

• (to end the employment or service of): see Thesaurus:lay off

Coordinate terms

• brush off
• send someone packing
• send someone to the showers

Related terms

• dismissal
• dismissive
• dismission

Translations

to discharge

• Arabic: طَرَدَ‎ (ar) (ṭarada), أَقَالَ‎ (ʾaqāla)
• Azerbaijani: çıxarmaq (az), azad etmək, kənar etmək, kənarlaşdırmaq (az), işdən çıxarmaq
• Belarusian: звальня́ць impf (zvalʹnjácʹ), зво́льніць pf (zvólʹnicʹ)
• Bulgarian: уволня́вам (bg) impf (uvolnjávam)
• Catalan: destituir (ca), acomiadar (ca), despedir (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 解僱 (zh), 解雇 (zh) (jiěgù)

• Czech: propustit (cs)
• Dutch: ontslaan (nl), de laan uitsturen
• Finnish: irtisanoa (fi), sanoa irti (fi), erottaa (fi)
• French: renvoyer (fr), limoger (fr), licencier (fr), démettre (fr)
• Galician: despedir
• German: entlassen (de)
• Italian: licenziare (it), congedare (it), mandare via, dimettere (it)

• Japanese: 解雇する (ja) (かいこする, kaiko suru)
• Korean: 해고하다 (ko) (haegohada)
• Maori: ākiri
• Mizo: bàn
• Mongolian: халах (mn) (halah)
• Oriya: ବରଖାସ୍ତ (or) (bôrôkhastô)
• Portuguese: demitir (pt), dispensar (pt)
• Romanian: destitui, concedia, revoca, demite
• Russian: увольня́ть (ru) impf (uvolʹnjátʹ), уво́лить (ru) pf (uvólitʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: cuir à dreuchd
• Spanish: despedir (es), echar (es)
• Swedish: avskeda (sv), sparka (sv), entlediga (sv), upplösa (sv)
• Ukrainian: звільня́ти impf (zvilʹnjáty), звільни́ти pf (zvilʹnýty)
• Urdu: بَرْخاسْت‎ (barxāst)
• Vietnamese: đuổi (vi), thải hồi (vi), sa thải (vi)
• Yiddish: ^{(please verify)} משלח זײַן‎ (meshaleyekh zayn)

to order to leave

• Bulgarian: отпращам (bg) (otpraštam)
• Dutch: wegsturen (nl)
• Finnish: häätää (fi), ajaa pois
• French: renvoyer (fr), (imperative) rompez (fr)
• German: entlassen (de)
• Italian: rompere le righe, in libertà
• Mizo: kaltír, chhuah
• Portuguese: dispensar (pt)

• Romanian: alunga (ro)
• Russian: отпуска́ть (ru) impf (otpuskátʹ)
• Swahili: kuaga (sw)
• Swedish: entlediga (sv), skingra (sv)
• Ukrainian: відпуска́ти (vidpuskáty)
• Vietnamese: đuổi (vi), giải tán (vi) (a group of people)
• Yiddish: משלח זײַן‎ (meshaleyekh zayn)

to dispel

• Dutch: wegdrukken (nl), onderdrukken (nl)
• Finnish: hylätä (fi), unohtaa (fi)
• Italian: scacciare (it)
• Maori: whakaparahako (of an idea or thought), whakamahea
• Mizo: hnawt darh

• Portuguese: descartar (pt)
• Spanish: disipar (es)
• Swedish: avfärda (sv)
• Vietnamese: gạt bỏ (vi), xua đuổi (vi)

to reject, refuse to accept

• Bulgarian: отхвърлям (bg) (othvǎrljam)
• Catalan: rebutjar (ca)
• Dutch: afwijzen (nl), weigeren (nl)
• Finnish: hylätä (fi), tyrmätä (fi)
• French: rejeter (fr)
• German: abweisen (de), einstellen (de), zurückweisen (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἀποδοκιμάζω (apodokimázō)

• Italian: respingere (it), rigettare (it), archiviare (it), mandar via
• Maori: whakahoe
• Mizo: hnâwl, hnar
• Portuguese: rejeitar (pt), dispensar (pt), arquivar (pt)
• Spanish: rechazar (es)
• Swedish: avfärda (sv), avvisa (sv)
• Vietnamese: bỏ (vi), bác bỏ (vi), bác (vi)

to send or put away, to discard with disregard, contempt or disdain

• Dutch: wegwuiven (nl), afwimpelen (nl)

• Maori: whakahoe

cricket: to get a batsman out

• French: retirer (fr)

• Vietnamese: đánh (vi)

to give someone a red card

• Dutch: wegsturen (nl), een rode kaart geven
• Finnish: antaa punainen kortti
• French: expulser (fr)
• German: die rote Karte zeigen

• Portuguese: expulsar (pt)
• Spanish: expulsar (es)
• Swedish: få rött kort
• Vietnamese: đuổi (vi)