Present participle of reject; dismissing, refusing to accept, or casting aside something or someone.
From Latin reicere, combining re- (back) and iacere (to throw). The word literally meant 'to throw back' and entered English in the 15th century through French rejecter, maintaining its sense of forceful dismissal.
The Latin root 'iacere' (to throw) appears in many English words like 'project,' 'inject,' and 'subject,' all involving different directions of throwing or casting. In psychology, rejection activates the same brain regions as physical pain, suggesting our minds treat social rejection as literally harmful.
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