abweisen
to reject
To reject or refuse a person, a request, an offer, or a suggestion.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat sein Angebot, ihr zu helfen, kühl abgewiesen.
She coolly rejected his offer to help her.
abweisen
to reject / turn away
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
abweisen
to turn away
To deny someone entry or admission; to send someone away.
EXAMPLE
Der Türsteher hat mehrere Gäste abgewiesen, weil der Club voll war.
The bouncer turned away several guests because the club was full.
abweisen
to dismiss
In a legal context, to reject a lawsuit, motion, or claim as unfounded or inadmissible.
EXAMPLE
Das Gericht hat die Klage mangels Beweisen abgewiesen.
The court dismissed the lawsuit due to lack of evidence.
abweisen
to repel
A property of materials: not allowing certain substances such as water or dirt to penetrate.
EXAMPLE
Die neue Jacke ist aus einem Material, das Wasser und Schmutz abweist.
The new jacket is made of a material that repels water and dirt.
Usage tips
Separable verb
'Abweisen' is a separable verb. The prefix 'ab-' stands at the end in a main clause. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
EXAMPLE
Der Chef wies meinen Vorschlag sofort ab.
The boss rejected my suggestion immediately.
Word structure
The verb is made up of the prefix 'ab-' (away) and the verb 'weisen' (to show, to guide). The literal meaning 'to point away' or 'to send away' is the basis for all meanings of the verb.
EXAMPLE
Der Hund wurde am Eingang des Supermarktes abgewiesen.
The dog was turned away at the entrance to the supermarket.
Typical collocations
You can reject people ('einen Verehrer abweisen' — to reject an admirer) or their offers. Typical objects are: 'ein Angebot' (an offer), 'eine Bitte' (a request), 'ein Kompliment' (a compliment), or 'ein Vorschlag' (a suggestion).
EXAMPLE
Er hat ihr Jobangebot höflich, aber bestimmt abgewiesen.
He rejected her job offer politely but firmly.
Legal context
In this meaning, 'abweisen' (to dismiss/reject) is used almost exclusively in a legal context. It is often used in the passive to report what happened to a lawsuit or motion.
EXAMPLE
Der Antrag wurde vom Gericht als unbegründet abgewiesen.
The motion was dismissed by the court as unfounded.
Common adjective form
For materials, the adjective form 'abweisend' is very common. People speak of 'wasserabweisenden' Jacken (water-repellent jackets) or 'schmutzabweisenden' Oberflächen (dirt-repellent surfaces).
EXAMPLE
Diese Hose ist aus einem schmutzabweisenden Stoff gemacht.
These pants are made of a dirt-repellent fabric.
Compare with
abweisen vs ablehnen
to reject
Both verbs can be used to reject a request or proposal. Ablehnen focuses more on the decision against the request itself; abweisen can additionally emphasize the person or their attempt and can therefore sound more personal. With ablehnen, focus mainly on the request; with abweisen, you may instead focus on the person who was turned away.
abweisen
Die Behörde wies den Antragsteller mit seiner Bitte ab.
The authority turned the applicant away when he made his request.
ablehnen
Die Behörde lehnte seinen Antrag auf Unterstützung ab.
The authority rejected his application for support.
In real life
Loading video examples...