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
Related Words
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
- denyingly adverb
- predeny verb (used with object)
- redeny verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of deny
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English denien, from Old French denier, from Latin dēnegāre; denegation
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.
Michael: I definitely want to stay up, but I can't deny that two trips to Wembley and the opportunity of seeing us score a goal there would be very special and memorable.
From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026
No one paying attention over the past half-century can deny that.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
It’s essentially three things: deceive, disrupt, and deny.
From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026
"The world order and the multilateral system we used to know has irrevocably changed," she said, adding: "We cannot deny the scale of the problems confronting the world today."
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
The book examines how individuals and institutions—victims, perpetrators, and bystanders—know about yet deny the occurrence of oppressive acts.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
