refuse

¹ American  

[ri-fyooz] / rɪˈfjuz /

verb (used with object)

• refuses,
  present (3rd person singular)
• refused,
  past participle,  past
• refusing
  present participle

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.

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verb (used without object)

• refuses,
  present (3rd person singular)
• refused,
  past participle,  past
• refusing
  present participle

1. to decline acceptance, consent, or compliance.

refuse ² American  

[ref-yoos] / ˈrɛf jus /

noun

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

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adjective

1. rejected as worthless; discarded.

   refuse matter.

refuse ¹ British  

/ 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

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refuse ² British  

/ ˈrɛfjuːs /

noun

1. 1. anything thrown away; waste; rubbish

   2. ( as modifier )

      a refuse collection

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Synonym Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Participles

• refusing
  present
• refused
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• refuse
  simple
• refuses
  simple
• have refused
  perfect
• has refused
  perfect
• am refusing
  progressive
• are refusing
  progressive
• is refusing
  progressive
• have been refusing
  perfect progressive
• has been refusing
  perfect progressive

Past

• refused
  simple
• had refused
  perfect
• was refusing
  progressive
• were refusing
  progressive
• had been refusing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will refuse
  simple
• will have refused
  perfect
• will be refusing
  progressive
• will have been refusing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

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”; see 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

Explanation

To refuse is to decline, deny, reject, or resist. If a stranger offers you candy, you should politely refuse. As a noun, refuse (pronounced REF-yooss) is food waste, scraps, or garbage. As a verb, refuse (pronounced ree-FYOOZ) means to reject. If you’re mad at me, you’ll probably refuse my invitation to hang out. If your fashion sense isn't up to date, the bouncer at an exclusive nightclub might refuse entry to you. If you’re sick and you need a kidney transplant, your doctor will give you drugs to stop your body from refusing the donor kidney.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

refuse refuses refused refusing

I refuse to call it a job, but I'm doing something I love for work.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Lives are being put at risk because of refuse fires sparked by people incorrectly binning their batteries and electrical goods in household waste, a union boss has warned.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

That’s code for expanding the opportunity for parents to refuse the shots for their children.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

But they did not plead the Fifth, opting instead to refuse to appear.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

“Don’t use up your energy! And don’t tire the donkey, or it will stop and refuse to move!”

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

There’s a comic trope beloved by playwrights, novelists and screenwriters about the fighters all suited up for battle, only to discover that their adversary refuses to play.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

‘I get $1,460 in Social Security’: My millionaire ex-husband, 74, refuses to pay alimony.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 25, 2026

McElwee refuses to scrub the truth from his personal histories, choosing instead to confront his own regrets head-on.

From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026

The question is framed in the language of free will and determinism, but Golding refuses to let it remain there.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

It lingers in my system and refuses to leave.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

She says she first became concerned that Ditto was not the donor when patient co-ordinators, including Hodson, repeatedly refused to send her a medical report confirming his sperm had been used.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

But volunteer rescuers refused to give up, even though the chances of survival drops drastically after 72 hours.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

Despite their hardships, they refused to compromise or mold themselves into someone else’s narrow, antiquated vision.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

The ‘Country Hicks’ who refused $26 million from an AI data center.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026

He bounded over and started barking at him, and for the very first time, Gandy refused to fight back.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

The person was “armed” with a large flagpole and an unknown cylindrical object, the chief said, and was taken into custody after refusing officers’ commands to drop the items.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

But it admitted its audit suffered from limitations, such as the executive in charge of planning the campaign refusing to surrender their mobile phone.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

When Bush changed his plea to guilty to all 67 charges in April 2026, he walked into court as he had at every previous hearing - refusing to let families see his face.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

Zidane waited five years on the sidelines for the position, refusing all other coaching offers that came his way.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

I slapped his hand away and kept on walking, refusing to acknowledge him.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Related Words

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