deny

[ dih-nahy ]

verb (used with object)

, de·nied, de·ny·ing.

1. to state that (something declared or believed to be true) is not true:

   to deny an accusation.

   Synonyms: gainsay, oppose, controvert, dispute

   Antonyms: concede, accept, admit

2. to refuse to agree or accede to:

   to deny a petition.

3. to withhold the possession, use, or enjoyment of:

   to deny access to secret information.

   Antonyms: allow

4. to withhold something from, or refuse to grant a request of:

   to deny a beggar.

5. to refuse to recognize or acknowledge; disown; disavow; repudiate:

   to deny one's gods.

   Synonyms: abjure, renounce

6. to withhold (someone) from accessibility to a visitor:

   The secretary denied his employer to all those without appointments.

7. Obsolete. to refuse to take or accept.

deny

/ dɪˈnaɪ /

verb

1. to declare (an assertion, statement, etc) to be untrue

   he denied that he had killed her

2. to reject as false; refuse to accept or believe
3. to withhold; refuse to give
4. to refuse to fulfil the requests or expectations of

   it is hard to deny a child

5. to refuse to acknowledge or recognize; disown; disavow

   the baron denied his wicked son

6. to refuse (oneself) things desired

Other Words From

• de·ny·ing·ly adverb
• pre·de·ny verb (used with object) predenied predenying
• re·de·ny verb (used with object) redenied redenying

Word History and Origins

Origin of deny¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English denien, from Old French denier, from Latin dēnegāre; denegation

Word History and Origins

Origin of deny¹

C13: from Old French denier, from Latin dēnegāre, from negāre

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. deny oneself, to refrain from satisfying one's desires or needs; practice self-denial.

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Bouhanna denied the accusations, saying in a statement that he “chose to launch the token anonymously, not wanting to associate it with my personal profile or professional affiliations.”

From New York Times

He has long faced claims from opposition politicians alleging that he has benefited from his political ties, which he denies.

From BBC

But the case was dropped and Gaetz, who denied the allegations, was never charged.

From BBC

She denied the allegations, saying that when she had owned it, “nothing like that was supplied”.

From BBC

He denied that his crimes against his wife had been sparked by an inferiority complex or by a desire for revenge for an affair she had in the 1980s.

From BBC

Related Words

• ban
• call on
• contradict
• oppose
• rebuff
• refuse
• refute
• reject
• revoke
• turn down
• withhold