Deject vs. Reject — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Published on November 23, 2023
"Deject" means to make someone feel sad or dispirited; "Reject" means to dismiss or refuse acceptance, consideration, or approval.
Difference Between Deject and Reject
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Deject is a verb that primarily means to dishearten or lower the spirits of someone. When a person is made to feel hopeless or dispirited, they are dejected. On the other hand, Reject is a verb that means to dismiss, refuse, or decline something. It implies a firm no to acceptance, whether it pertains to an idea, offer, or even a person.
While Deject deals more with emotions and feelings, Reject deals with action and decisions. For example, a person may feel dejected after their proposal at work was rejected. Here, the act of refusal led to a feeling of disheartenment.
Furthermore, the usage of Deject is less common in contemporary language. Most people tend to use terms like 'dishearten' or 'demoralize' in its place. However, Reject is a commonly used term, applicable in various scenarios, from interpersonal relationships to professional settings.
It's also notable that Reject can be both a verb and a noun. As a noun, it refers to something or someone that has been refused or discarded. Deject, however, is predominantly used as a verb and has no such popular noun form.
Lastly, while Reject has a clearer opposite in the form of "accept," Deject doesn't have such a straightforward antonym, though "hearten" or "encourage" can be considered its contrasts.
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Comparison Chart
Part of Speech
Primarily a verb
Can be both a verb and a noun
Main Meaning
To dishearten or lower spirits
To dismiss, refuse, or decline
Emotional Component
Deals with feelings and morale
Deals with action or decision
Common Usage
Less commonly used
Frequently used in various contexts
Opposite
Encourage (contextually)
Accept
Compare with Definitions
Deject
To cause to feel downhearted.
Continuous criticism can deject even the most enthusiastic person.
Reject
To discard as unsatisfactory.
The factory had to reject the faulty items.
Deject
To make disheartened.
His failure to secure the job dejected him immensely.
Reject
To throw away or discard.
Ensure you reject waste properly.
Deject
To lower someone's spirits.
The gloomy weather seemed to deject everyone in town.
Reject
To spurn or dismiss.
He felt hurt when his friends seemed to reject him.
Deject
To make feel sad or dispirited.
News of the accident dejected the entire community.
Reject
To refuse to accept or consider.
She decided to reject the first offer.
Deject
To lower the spirits of; dishearten.
Reject
To refuse to accept, submit to, believe, or make use of
He rejected their version of what happened. The store rejected the merchandise because it was damaged.
Deject
(transitive) Make sad or dispirited.
Reject
(transitive) To refuse to accept.
She even rejected my improved offer.
Deject
To cast downward.
Reject
(basketball) To block a shot, especially if it sends the ball off the court.
Deject
To debase or humble.
Reject
To refuse a romantic advance.
I've been rejected three times this week.
Deject
One who is lowly or abject.
Reject
Something that is rejected.
Deject
A waste product.
Reject
An unpopular person.
Deject
To cast down.
Christ dejected himself even unto the hells.
Sometimes she dejects her eyes in a seeming civility; and many mistake in her a cunning for a modest look.
Reject
(colloquial) A rejected defective product in a production line.
Deject
To cast down the spirits of; to dispirit; to discourage; to dishearten.
Nor think, to die dejects my lofty mind.
Reject
(aviation) A rejected takeoff.
Deject
Dejected.
Reject
To cast from one; to throw away; to discard.
Therefore all this exercise of hunting . . . the Utopians have rejected to their butchers.
Reject me not from among thy children.
Deject
Lower someone's spirits; make downhearted;
These news depressed her
The bad state of her child's health demoralizes her
Reject
To refuse to receive or to acknowledge; to decline haughtily or harshly; to repudiate.
That golden scepter which thou didst reject.
Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me.
Deject
To depress the enthusiasm or vigor of.
The team's loss dejected their fans.
Reject
To refuse to grant; as, to reject a prayer or request.
Reject
The person or thing rejected or set aside as inferior in quality
Reject
Refuse to accept or acknowledge;
I reject the idea of starting a war
The journal rejected the student's paper
Reject
Refuse to accept;
He refused my offer of hospitality
Reject
Deem wrong or inappropriate;
I disapprove of her child rearing methods
Reject
Reject with contempt;
She spurned his advances
Reject
Resist immunologically the introduction of some foreign tissue or organ;
His body rejected the liver of the donor
Reject
Refuse entrance or membership;
They turned away hundreds of fans
Black people were often rejected by country clubs
Reject
Dismiss from consideration;
John was ruled out as a possible suspect because he had a strong alibi
This possibility can be eliminated from our consideration
Reject
To decline to give approval to.
The editor chose to reject the manuscript.
Common Curiosities
What is the noun form of reject?
As a noun, reject refers to something or someone that's been refused or discarded.
Can someone feel dejected after being rejected?
Yes, the act of refusal can lead to feelings of disheartenment.
What does deject primarily mean?
It means to make someone feel disheartened or sad.
Can reject refer to a person?
Yes, a person can be rejected or referred to as a reject.
Is deject commonly used today?
No, it's less common than words like 'dishearten' or 'demoralize'.
Is there a straightforward antonym for deject?
Not exactly, but "hearten" or "encourage" can be considered contrasts.
What's the opposite of reject?
The opposite of reject is "accept."
Which word deals more with emotions?
Deject deals more with emotions, while reject deals with decisions.
Can a proposal or idea be rejected?
Yes, ideas, proposals, and offers can be rejected.
If someone feels down because of weather, can we say the weather dejected them?
Yes, external factors like weather can deject or lower someone's spirits.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
