refuse

¹

[ri-fyooz]

verb (used with object)

refused, refusing 

1. to decline to accept (something offered).

   to refuse an award.

   Synonyms: rebuff
   Antonyms: take, accept

2. to decline to give; deny (a request, demand, etc.).

   to refuse permission.

3. to express a determination not to (do something).

   to refuse to discuss the question.

4. to decline to submit to.

5. (of a horse) to decline to leap over (a barrier).

6. to decline to accept (a suitor) in marriage.

7. Military.,  to bend or curve back (the flank units of a military force) so that they face generally to the flank rather than the front.

8. Obsolete.,  to renounce.

verb (used without object)

refused, refusing 

1. to decline acceptance, consent, or compliance.

refuse

²

[ref-yoos]

noun

1. something that is discarded as worthless or useless; rubbish; trash; garbage.

adjective

1. rejected as worthless; discarded.

   refuse matter.

refuse

¹

/ rɪˈfjuːz /

verb

1. (tr) to decline to accept (something offered)

   to refuse a present

   to refuse promotion

2. to decline to give or grant (something) to (a person, organization, etc)

3. (when tr, takes an infinitive) to express determination not (to do something); decline

   he refuses to talk about it

4. (of a horse) to be unwilling to take (a jump), as by swerving or stopping

5. (tr) (of a woman) to declare one's unwillingness to accept (a suitor) as a husband

refuse

²

/ ˈrɛfjuːs /

noun

1. 1. anything thrown away; waste; rubbish

   2. ( as modifier )

      a refuse collection

Other Word Forms

• refuser noun
• refusable adjective
• quasi-refused adjective
• unrefusable adjective
• unrefused adjective
• unrefusing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of refuse¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English refusen, from Middle French refuser, Old French ultimately from Latin refūsus, past participle of refundere “to pour back”; refund ¹

Origin of refuse²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English from Middle French, Old French refus “dross, waste,” derivative of refuser to refuse ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of refuse¹

C14: from Old French refuser , from Latin refundere to pour back; see _refund

Origin of refuse²

C15: from Old French refuser to _refuse ¹

Synonym Study

Refuse, decline, reject, spurn all imply nonacceptance of something. To decline is milder and more courteous than to refuse, which is direct and often emphatic in expressing determination not to accept what is offered or proposed: to refuse a bribe; to decline an invitation. To reject is even more positive and definite than refuse : to reject a suitor. To spurn is to reject with scorn: to spurn a bribe.

Example Sentences

Last week, Burkina Faso's military government refused to take in deportees from the US, as Washington suspended issuing visas in the West African nation.

Read more on BBC

The border-check system will allow authorities to know when people entered and exited a country, with the goal of better detecting anyone overstaying and people refused entry.

Read more on Barron's

Angela left behind her mother, her older brother, and her mother-in-law, who refused to leave the home.

Read more on Barron's

After being refused docking in Greenland, the ship anchored so close to shore that the barracks housing some 150 American servicemembers were clearly visible.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A Madagascar army contingent near the capital on Saturday called on soldiers and security units to "join forces" and "refuse orders to shoot" at protesters, while several thousand marched in the capital.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• decline 
• ignore 
• protest 
• rebuff 
• reject 
• turn down 
• withdraw 
• withhold