refuse

[ri-fyooz]

See more synonyms for refuse on Thesaurus.com

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

to decline to accept (something offered): to refuse an award.
to decline to give; deny (a request, demand, etc.): to refuse permission.
to express a determination not to (do something): to refuse to discuss the question.

to decline to submit to.
(of a horse) to decline to leap over (a barrier).
to decline to accept (a suitor) in marriage.
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.
Obsolete. to renounce.

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

to decline acceptance, consent, or compliance.

Origin of refuse

1300–50; Middle English refusen < Middle French refuser, Old French ≪ Latin refūsus, past participle of refundere to pour back; see refund¹

Related formsre·fus·a·ble, adjectivere·fus·er, nounqua·si-re·fused, adjectiveun·re·fus·a·ble, adjectiveun·re·fused, adjectiveun·re·fus·ing, adjective

Synonyms for refuse

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

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.

Antonyms for refuse

1. accept, welcome.

refuse

[ref-yoos]

noun

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

adjective

rejected as worthless; discarded: refuse matter.

Origin of refuse

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. 2018

Related Words for refuse

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

Examples from the Web for refuse

Contemporary Examples of refuse

And now to this list of New York pols who refuse to go away, it may be possible to add another name: Vito Fossella.
Will Dirty Pol Vito Fossella Replace Dirty Pol Michael Grimm?
David Freedlander
December 31, 2014
“I tell them they are ruining their life, but I will not refuse to do it,” Bensoussan said.
Saying Yes to the Dress—Behind Bars
Caitlin Dickson
December 8, 2014
I refuse to be repeatedly mistreated especially by someone who claims to love me.
The Chris Brown vs. Drake Feud Continues: Brown Claims Ex GF Karrueche Tran Cheated with Drizzy
Marlow Stern
December 7, 2014
They expel difficult students and refuse to admit students that public schools have to admit—like kids with disabilities.
Hunger Games Comes to New York State’s Public Schools
Zephyr Teachout
November 26, 2014
To all of you refuse to believe that a beloved actor could do this, you are wrong.
Bill Cosby’s Long List of Accusers (So Far): 18 Alleged Sexual Assault Victims Between 1965-2004
Marlow Stern
November 24, 2014

Historical Examples of refuse

But the purest and best matrons of Greece refuse to be my guests.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
This request he intended to refuse, and enjoyed in advance the humiliation of young Rushton.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
"Then come and dine here," said Dick, unable to refuse a neighbour hospitality.
Viviette
William J. Locke
When the news had spread, others came to join him, and he could not refuse.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
If the refuse matter were taken from that, there would be nothing left.
Punchinello, Vol. 1, No. 6, May 7, 1870
Various

British Dictionary definitions for refuse

refuse

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

refuse

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

Word Origin and History for refuse

c.1300, from Old French refuser "reject, disregard, avoid" (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *refusare, frequentative form from past participle stem of Latin refundere "pour back, give back" (see refund (v.)). Related: Refused; refusing.

mid-14c., "an outcast;" mid-14c., "a rejected thing, waste material, trash," from Old French refus "waste product, rubbish; refusal, denial, rejection," a back-formation from the past participle of refuser (see refuse (v.)). As an adjective from late 14c., "despised, rejected;" early 15c., "of low quality."