deny
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to state that (something declared or believed to be true) is not true.
to deny an accusation.
- Synonyms:
- gainsay, oppose, controvert, dispute
-
to refuse to agree or accede to.
to deny a petition.
-
to withhold the possession, use, or enjoyment of.
to deny access to secret information.
- Antonyms:
- allow
-
to withhold something from, or refuse to grant a request of.
to deny a beggar.
-
to refuse to recognize or acknowledge; disown; disavow; repudiate.
to deny one's gods.
-
to withhold (someone) from accessibility to a visitor.
The secretary denied his employer to all those without appointments.
-
Obsolete. to refuse to take or accept.
idioms
verb
-
to declare (an assertion, statement, etc) to be untrue
he denied that he had killed her
-
to reject as false; refuse to accept or believe
-
to withhold; refuse to give
-
to refuse to fulfil the requests or expectations of
it is hard to deny a child
-
to refuse to acknowledge or recognize; disown; disavow
the baron denied his wicked son
-
to refuse (oneself) things desired
Synonym Usage
Deny, contradict both imply objecting to or arguing against something. To deny is to say that something is not true: to deny an allegation. To contradict is to declare that the contrary is true: to contradict a statement.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
denysimple
-
deniessimple
-
have deniedperfect
-
has deniedperfect
-
am denyingprogressive
-
are denyingprogressive
-
is denyingprogressive
-
have been denyingperfect progressive
-
has been denyingperfect progressive
Past
-
deniedsimple
-
had deniedperfect
-
was denyingprogressive
-
were denyingprogressive
-
had been denyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of deny
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English denien, from Old French denier, from Latin dēnegāre; see denegation
Explanation
To deny means refuse to accept, recognize, or believe. You can deny your sweet tooth all you want, but the stash of candy in your desk tells a different story. It's hard to deny what etymologists have proven: deny is rooted in the Latin word denegare, which means “to deny, reject, refuse.” You can deny yourself of chocolate if you're on a diet, or deny the accusations that you're a chocoholic. But it's usually best to fess up. Abraham Lincoln famously admitted: “I never did like to work, and I don't deny it. I'd rather read, tell stories, crack jokes, talk, laugh — anything but work."
Vocabulary lists containing deny
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act II
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The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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19th Amendment (1920)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But the piece also reflected feelings Valdez had about his long-estranged brother Frank, an engineer whose alienating efforts to deny his own background and fit in formed a heavy undercurrent in Valdez’s life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
“You take the obscure office of the Treasury to which World Liberty has applied: If they deny the application, you can assume that person will lose their job. It’s obvious on its face.”
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
Both Luna and O’Handley deny any wrongdoing, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is reportedly examining the allegations.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
Prior-authorization delays don’t only strain our balance sheet; they delay or deny necessary care.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
That’s the one thing even Nana Twig can’t deny: my girl’s voice.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
And an emphasis on systems denies groups or individuals within groups any form of agency.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
If a judge denies the DOJ’s request, it can appeal with the U.S.
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026
Afghanistan's Taliban government denies the country's involvement in militancy in Pakistan.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
“It is a terrible decision which denies consumers basic information needed to make informed choices,” said Judith Enck, former Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator and president of the nonprofit Beyond Plastics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
At nearby Arriaga, the chief of the judicial police, or Agenda Federal de Investigation, denies that his agents stop trains in San Ramon and rob migrants.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday denied that talks about an aerial ceasefire were under way.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Burke has pleaded not guilty and denied all wrongdoing through his attorneys.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Last month, when pressed on the subject, Hegseth denied that supplies were thinning out.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Brazil’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday it had denied visas to two U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Since then, and for many years after, Jefferson’s family members, his biographers, and other defenders denied that Jefferson was the father of Sally’s children.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
DeChambeau's angry reaction, delaying signing his card and therefore denying the rest of the field knowledge of their Saturday tee times was not a good look.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
In October 2025, a federal judge sentenced the music mogul to four years and two months behind bars while denying renewed efforts by his legal team to secure his release pending appeal.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Yet Justin and Rose Taylor allege in a federal lawsuit that Sunnyvale School District, near San Jose, is denying them the same ability to opt out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
But in its response to the federal lawsuit, the company defended itself in court records, denying some of the allegations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
They’ve took others we miss more, but there’s no denying she showed more spirit than most.’
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
