Odbiti

Odbiti is a verb used in Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian to denote rejection or deflection. It appears in imperfective and perfective forms, with odbijati as the imperfective and odbiti as the perfective. The term is transitive and commonly frames a completed action or a firm stance.

The primary sense is to refuse or reject something offered or requested. Examples include refusing an offer, a request, or an accusation: "Odbio je ponudu," "odbiti zahtjev," or "odbiti optužbu." The verb can also mean to deny the truth or validity of a claim, as in "odbiti tvrdnju" or to refute an argument.

In addition to social and legal usage, odbiti can describe a physical action: to bounce off or deflect a ball or object. In sports and everyday speech, phrases such as "lopta se odbila od zida" illustrate a rebound or deflection.

Etymology traces odbiti to a prefix od- attached to a root related to striking or beating, encapsulating the idea of driving away or repelling. The imperfective form emphasizes ongoing or repeated action (odbijati), while the perfective (odbiti) marks a completed act. Past participles align with the gender and number (odbio, odbila, odbili).

See also: odbaciti (to discard), odbijanje (the act of rejecting or bouncing), prihvatiti (to accept), odobriti (to approve). These terms appear in related contexts of acceptance, rejection, and deflection.