驳回

• Pinyin: bó huí
• Hanzi breakdown: 驳 = 马 (horse) + 爻 (alternating lines), meaning variegated or to refute; 回 = a spiral, meaning to return

Meaning

To reject; to overrule; to dismiss. Used when authorities refuse or deny a request or appeal.

A formal term primarily used in legal, administrative, and official contexts. Common in court decisions, bureaucratic procedures, and formal applications. More forceful than 拒绝.

Examples

1. 法院驳回了被告的上诉请求。 The court rejected the defendant's appeal.
2. 他的签证申请被大使馆驳回，理由是材料不全。 His visa application was rejected by the embassy on the grounds of incomplete documentation.
3. 股东大会驳回了管理层提出的并购方案。 The shareholders' meeting rejected the merger proposal put forward by management.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, administrative, official

Tone: authoritative

Do Say

• 申请被驳回后，他决定再次上诉。(After the application was rejected, he decided to appeal again.)
• 法官驳回了律师的异议。(The judge overruled the lawyer's objection.)

Don't Say

• 妈妈驳回了我想吃冰淇淋的请求。(For casual refusals, use 拒绝 — 驳回 is for official/formal contexts)

Origin & History

驳 (to refute, contradict) + 回 (to return). Returning something with a refutation.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Professional/Legal