Meaning & use
spurned
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“spurned” is a form of “spurn”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitiveformal
Past form of spurn: turned down someone or something with obvious scorn or pride.
Grammar: Takes an object: she spurned his offer. The past participle is the same: he was spurned.
Patterns
- spurn something
- be spurned by someone
She spurned his offer of help and walked away.
The senator spurned the proposal as an insult.
He spurned every attempt to make peace.
adjectivebefore a nounliterary
Rejected scornfully, especially in love or friendship.
Grammar: Usually before a noun: a spurned lover.
Patterns
- a spurned lover
- feel spurned
The spurned suitor refused to attend the wedding.
She felt spurned when her friends did not call.
The film is about a spurned wife seeking revenge.
Common combinations
- spurned lover
- The spurned lover sent a long angry letter.
- spurned an offer
- They spurned an offer of a free ticket.
- spurned advice
- He spurned the doctor's advice and paid for it.
- spurned by society
- The poet was spurned by society in his lifetime.
- spurned the opportunity
- She spurned the opportunity to apologize.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rejected
- Rejected is neutral and can be polite, while spurned always carries scorn or pride.
- rebuffed
- Rebuffed suggests a blunt, sometimes unkind refusal of an approach, while spurned stresses contempt.
- snubbed
- Snubbed means to ignore or treat coldly in a social setting, whereas spurned involves refusing an offer or love.
- scorned
- Scorned is about feeling contempt and may not involve refusing anything, while spurned is about a refusal.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: spurned or spurred?
spurned vs spurred
Spurred means encouraged or driven on, as in spurred to action. Spurned means rejected, so the two nearly opposite meanings are often mistaken.
Practice
The king ___ the peace offer, calling it an insult.
Choose one answer.
Spurned means rejected with scorn, which suits calling the offer an insult. Spurred means urged on, so it would suggest he accepted the idea.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “spurned”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.