refuse
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
refuses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
refused,
past participle, past
-
refusing
present participle
-
to decline to accept (something offered).
to refuse an award.
- Synonyms:
- rebuff
-
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)
-
refuses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
refused,
past participle, past
-
refusing
present participle
noun
adjective
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); decline
he 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
noun
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
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refusernoun
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quasi-refusedadjective
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refusableadjective
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unrefusableadjective
-
unrefusedadjective
-
unrefusingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
refusesimple
-
refusessimple
-
have refusedperfect
-
has refusedperfect
-
am refusingprogressive
-
are refusingprogressive
-
is refusingprogressive
-
have been refusingperfect progressive
-
has been refusingperfect progressive
Past
-
refusedsimple
-
had refusedperfect
-
was refusingprogressive
-
were refusingprogressive
-
had been refusingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing refuse
"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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"The Civil Rights Movement"
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"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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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.
See Examples For:
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
The decision to refuse a licence for Scotland's last remaining guga hunt this year was taken by NatureScot's board following a recommendation by officials.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
Yet the veterans refuse to surrender to the upstarts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
I know who he’s looking for, but if Lisa-Marie Anne—I refuse to call her LMA—were here, she would already be clinging to his arm.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Mr. Warsh resolutely refuses to be goaded into making news at post-FOMC press conferences.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
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
He admits it's dangerous, but he still refuses to apologise.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
When Stewart pressed her on the president’s fixation, Collins defended her record, emphasizing that she refuses to serve only one political audience.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
Johnny refuses to dance but bobs his head.
From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
However, Knight has repeatedly refused to cooperate with authorities and said he doesn’t wish to testify.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
The court in late June also refused to hear Trump's appeal against the original May 2023 verdict.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
The ‘Country Hicks’ who refused $26 million from an AI data center.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
However, it was refused on the grounds documents showing he met the grounds for residency were not submitted.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
She tottered just a bit, momentarily losing her balance, but she refused my help.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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
Alan Murray recently wrote here about America’s century-old companies that have survived by refusing to “let their past be an anchor.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 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
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho was interested in acquiring the England midfielder's services in a potential £32m move, with Gerrard refusing to sign a new contract.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
"I don't want any money," Cullen said, refusing the bribe.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
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.
