spurning

Verb

spurn (third-person singular simple present spurns, present participle spurning, simple past and past participle spurned)

1. (ambitransitive) To reject disdainfully; contemn; scorn.
   • to spurn at your most royal imagec. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […]...
2. (transitive) To reject something by pushing it away with the foot.
   • Me thinks I ſee kings kneeling at his feet,
     And he with frowning browes and fiery lookes,
     Spurning their crownes from off their captiue heads.c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC...
3. (transitive) To waste; fail to make the most of (an opportunity)
   • Marouane Chamakh then spurned a great chance to kill the game off when he ran onto Andrey Arshavin's lofted through ball but shanked his shot horribly across the face of goal.2011 September 28, Tom Rostance, “Arsenal 2 - 1 Olympiakos”, in BBC Sport
4. (intransitive, obsolete) To kick or toss up the heels.
   • oft' the ſudden Gale
     Ruffles the Tide, and ſhifts the dang'rous Sail,
     […]
     The drunken Chairman in the Kennel ſpurns,
     The Glaſſes ſhatters, and his Charge o'erturns.[1716], [John] Gay, “Book II. Of Walking the Streets by Day.”, in Trivia: Or, The Art of Walking the Streets of London, London: […] Bernard Lintott, […], →OCLC, page 46

See all 8 meanings of spurn