Rebuked or Rebuffed?

I like words, and it's fun to come across a word that's used infrequently—or that you don't use frequently yourself. It can be even more fun trying to figure out if the word is being used correctly.

Case in point: An article I read today began with the headline: Mark Zuckerberg refuses to testify in the UK yet again. But then it went on to say: Mark Zuckerberg has yet again rebuked a UK parliamentary request...

Rebuked? Really? That seemed out of place; and I'm not saying that because I don't think I have ever used that word in a sentence. Read it, yes, but said it or written it? I doubt it!
The reason I doubted it was because a) refusing is not the same—or even similar—as rebuking someone, and b) I couldn't believe that Zuckerberg would rebuke the UK parliament. At least, not unless they really pissed him off.

REBUKE verb,1. to express sharp, stern disapproval of; reprove; reprimand.

I mean, he may have rebuked them, but it's a bit strong—even for the CEO of Facebook.

Read a few sentences further down and it says;

"he turned down the invitation, with Facebook saying that it's not possible for Zuckerberg to appear before all committees..."

That sounds more like a rebuff than a rebuke.

REBUFF verb, 1. To refuse; to offer sudden or harsh resistance; to turn down or shut out.

Anyway, I think rebuff would be the better word, but feel free to disagree.

Comments

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