You opened this article hoping for one thing: to finally figure out how to respond to a rejection email with grace, tact, and confidence.
Maybe you’ve been ghosted by companies.
Maybe you got a cold no that stung. Or maybe you’re just tired of typing the same old thank you anyway without sounding robotic or bitter.
Well, your search ends here.
The truth is, rejection emails can show up in all sorts of settings — after job applications, sales pitches, project proposals, auditions, even university entries.
And each situation demands a different kind of reply. Sometimes you want to be formal.
Sometimes you need to sound casual. Sometimes you’re writing as a professional, and other times you want your words to carry a bit more warmth and wit.
Below, you’ll find more than 120 creative ways to say exactly what you mean when replying to a rejection email — divided into formal, informal, idiomatic, and professional sections.
Formal Ways to Say How to Respond to a Rejection Email
Use these phrases when you want to keep things polished, respectful, and professional — great for job applications, academic rejections, or grant proposals.
- Thank you for your time and consideration
- I appreciate the opportunity to apply
- I’m grateful for the feedback provided
- Thank you for letting me know
- I respect your decision and wish you continued success
- I’m still very interested in future opportunities
- Please keep me in mind for future roles
- I look forward to staying in touch
- It was a pleasure being considered
- Thank you for reviewing my application
- I remain passionate about your mission
- I wish your team all the best
- I hope we can collaborate in the future
- I value the experience of applying
- Thank you for the update
- I remain enthusiastic about your work
- I’m hopeful for future openings
- Thank you again for your consideration
- I appreciate your transparency
- I learned a lot through this process
- It was an honor to be reviewed by your team
- I remain confident in my skillset
- I’m thankful for the opportunity to showcase my experience
- I understand your decision and appreciate the clarity
- Please do keep my resume on file
- I’m open to other roles within your organization
- Thank you for your professionalism throughout
- I hope we cross paths again
- I’m grateful for the interaction
- I respect the selection process and appreciate being a part of it
- I hope your hiring process continues smoothly
- Please don’t hesitate to reach out in the future
- I’ve gained insight from this process
Informal Ways to Say How to Respond to a Rejection Email
Perfect for friendly messages, casual rejections, or when you’re dealing with startups or individuals you know personally.
- No worries at all
- Thanks for the heads-up
- Totally understand
- Appreciate you letting me know
- Best of luck with everything
- Hope we can chat again soon
- Thanks for the shot
- Maybe next time
- Glad to have been considered
- Take care and good luck
- Catch you later
- Cheers and thanks again
- Keep me in the loop
- Let’s stay in touch
- Appreciate the honesty
- Thanks for thinking of me
- I’ll be around if anything changes
- Wishing you the best
- Thanks for the quick reply
- Respect the decision
- All good on my end
- Thanks for reaching out
- Maybe our paths will cross later
- Hope the rest goes well
- Cool — thanks for the update
- Let me know if I can help in any way
- Hoping to connect again down the line
- Appreciate the response
- Still a fan of what you’re doing
- Will definitely follow your work
- Thanks again for the opportunity
Idiomatic Ways to Say How to Respond to a Rejection Email
When you want to add a little flavor or personality, these idiomatic expressions do the trick. They’re polite but carry more tone and color.
- No hard feelings
- All in good time
- I’ll take it on the chin
- That’s the way the cookie crumbles
- Live and learn
- Better luck next time
- Every cloud has a silver lining
- Water under the bridge
- No use crying over spilled milk
- It wasn’t meant to be
- Rolling with the punches
- I’ll keep my ear to the ground
- When one door closes, another opens
- Just another step in the journey
- All part of the process
- I’m not throwing in the towel
- It’s a bump in the road, not the end
- I’ll bounce back
- Keeping my chin up
- Taking it in stride
- Onward and upward
- I’ll keep moving forward
- Staying positive and focused
- I’m still in the game
- Not taking it personally
- Lessons learned and moving on
- Just part of the grind
- I’ve got my eyes on the prize
- Still chasing the dream
- I’ll be back stronger
- Every setback’s a setup for a comeback
- Dusting myself off
- Still in the race
Professional Ways to Say How to Respond to a Rejection Email
Use these when replying to hiring managers, clients, recruiters, or collaborators. They strike the perfect balance of courtesy, clarity, and class.
- Thank you for the opportunity to connect
- I appreciate your consideration of my application
- It was a pleasure engaging with your team
- I respect your decision and wish you well
- Thank you for your professional and timely communication
- I hope you’ll consider me in the future
- I remain very interested in your company’s mission
- I appreciate the time taken to review my work
- Please keep my information on file for future roles
- I’m still enthusiastic about joining your team someday
- I understand the decision and value the experience
- Looking forward to future collaborations
- Thank you for your thoughtful response
- I respect the competitive nature of this process
- It was great learning about your team and goals
- I remain open to other potential fits
- Thank you for the clarity and respect
- I’m grateful for your openness
- Let’s keep the lines of communication open
- Wishing continued success to your organization
- Please don’t hesitate to reach out in the future
- I enjoyed connecting with your team during the interview
- I’m available for freelance or project-based roles
- Let me know if I can support you in any other way
- Thank you for the courteous update
- Your transparency is appreciated
- It was an honor to be considered
- Looking forward to other opportunities with your company
- I’m hopeful our paths will cross again professionally
- Thank you again for the engagement
- I gained valuable insight through this interaction
- Wishing your recruitment process continued success
- Please feel free to reconnect down the line
Conclusion
Responding to a rejection email doesn’t have to feel awkward or discouraging.
With the right words, you can show maturity, resilience, and professionalism — and leave the door open for future opportunities.
Different settings call for different styles.
Whether you’re writing a formal reply to a job rejection, a casual note to a startup founder, or a confident message to a recruiter, you’ve now got over 120 ways to express yourself clearly and thoughtfully.
Practice makes perfect. Save a few of your favorite phrases and start using them in real-life replies.
Every rejection handled well is a bridge to something better.
