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
-
refusernoun
-
quasi-refusedadjective
-
refusableadjective
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Civil Rights Movement"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
"We refuse to accept our country being turned into a source of danger to Europe," Tikhanovskaya wrote on X. "Lasting security requires a sovereign, democratic Belarus whose territory is never used against its neighbours."
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
If there were any time to turn our noses up in defiance and refuse to engage with anything less than quality, it’s now.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
Once the systems begin to improve on their own, Coxon said, he fears they could advance enough to refuse commands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
The statistics are sobering — so sobering that Defense Department officials refuse to confirm, deny or discuss them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
If the njuzu offered you food, you must refuse it or be doomed to stay forever in their watery realm.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Even serious buyers will walk away if a seller refuses to acknowledge the issue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
But if the Fed tightens and gold refuses to break — particularly if longer-term yields remain under pressure — investors should consider a more consequential possibility.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Anyone who refuses to comply could face a £70 fixed penalty notice or be prosecuted, with courts able to impose a maximum fine of £1,000.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
This story is part of Image’s September Image Makers issue, your guide to this city that refuses to be any one thing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
If the Bureau refuses the trade, no one is safe.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
The council refused to comment on or provide the cost of the legal challenge.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
She refused and moved from Alaska to Texas, where the baby was born.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
In 1951, columnist Walter Winchell engaged in a public feud with world-famous entertainer and civil rights activist Josephine Baker, who was refused service at the legendary Stork Club in New York City.
From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026
At the press conference following the decision, Chairman Kevin Warsh refused to say how many more rate hikes might be required to bring inflation back to the Fed’s 2% target.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
By this time, I was pretty well waterlogged and refused to drink it.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
"It's like refusing to give medicine to a cancer patient because you're saying, 'What if I get sick one day?' Well, maybe you won't. Give it away before it expires."
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
It should be to keep the bully from taking over the playground by refusing intimidation, empowering the bystanders and enforcing boundaries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Food on “South Park” has a funny way of refusing to remain food.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
Robson was booked Monday evening and charged with one misdemeanor count of trespassing and refusing to leave private property, according to court records.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
I look around the room, refusing to believe there’s no water left in here.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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.
