Word
dismissive
Phoneticsdis·mis·sive
US/dɪsˈmɪsɪv/
UK/dɪsmˈɪsɪv/
Definition
adj. showing that you do not think something or someone is important or worth your time. You use this to describe a person's rude or cold attitude.
adj. indicating that something is unworthy of serious consideration. Often used to describe a facial expression, tone of voice, or general attitude that rejects another's ideas or presence.
Examples
“He gave a dismissive wave of his hand.”
“The manager was quite dismissive of my suggestions during the meeting, barely looking up from her laptop.”
“Her dismissive attitude toward the new safety protocols suggests a lack of concern for the potential risks involved in the laboratory experiments.”
Examples
simple
“He gave a dismissive wave of his hand.”
contextual
“The manager was quite dismissive of my suggestions during the meeting, barely looking up from her laptop.”
complex
“Her dismissive attitude toward the new safety protocols suggests a lack of concern for the potential risks involved in the laboratory experiments.”
Usage
Commonly followed by the preposition 'of'. Often appears after linking verbs like 'be', 'seem', or 'become'.
Pitfall
he was dismissive about my idea
he was dismissive of my idea
The adjective 'dismissive' typically collocates with the preposition 'of' rather than 'about'.
Real-World Examples
“The tabloid mockery was largely dismissive of the couple's rare achievement in Hollywood.” “This summer marks 50 years since punk was born on these London streets, and Wardle is dismissive about the social forces it unleashed.” Etymology
From dismiss + -ive.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/dismissive