definitions
  • synonyms

refuse

1
[ ri-fyooz ]
/ rɪˈfyuz /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR refuse ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), re·fused, re·fus·ing.

verb (used without object), re·fused, re·fus·ing.

to decline acceptance, consent, or compliance.

RELATED CONTENT

namaskarRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
Have You Ever Experienced Language Denialism?What makes something a “real” language? And how do people deny those that aren't "real"?
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

debris, waste, trash, rubbish, decline, withhold, ignore, protest, withdraw, reject, rebuff, residue, dregs, junk, leavings, slop, dump, swill, remains, litter

Nearby words

refundable, refurb, refurbish, refurbishment, refusal, refuse, refusenik, refusion, refutation, refutative, refute

Origin of refuse

1
1300–50; Middle English refusen < Middle French refuser, Old French ≪ Latin refūsus, past participle of refundere to pour back; see refund1
SYNONYMS FOR refuse
1 rebuff. 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.
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR refuse ON THESAURUS.COM
Related forms

Definition for refuse (2 of 2)

refuse

2
[ ref-yoos ]
/ ˈrɛf yus /

noun

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

adjective

rejected as worthless; discarded: refuse matter.

Origin of refuse

2
1325–75; Middle English < Middle French; Old French refus denial, rejection, derivative of refuser to refuse1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for refuse

British Dictionary definitions for refuse (1 of 2)

refuse

1
/ (rɪˈfjuːz) /

verb

(tr) to decline to accept (something offered)to refuse a present; to refuse promotion
to decline to give or grant (something) to (a person, organization, etc)
(when tr, takes an infinitive) to express determination not (to do something); declinehe refuses to talk about it
(of a horse) to be unwilling to take (a jump), as by swerving or stopping
(tr) (of a woman) to declare one's unwillingness to accept (a suitor) as a husband
Derived Formsrefusable, adjectiverefuser, noun

Word Origin for refuse

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

British Dictionary definitions for refuse (2 of 2)

refuse

2
/ (ˈrɛfjuːs) /

noun

  1. anything thrown away; waste; rubbish
  2. (as modifier)a refuse collection

Word Origin for refuse

C15: from Old French refuser to refuse 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012