refuse

¹

[ ri-fyooz ]

verb (used with object)

, re·fused, re·fus·ing.

1. to decline to accept (something offered):

   to refuse an award.

   Synonyms: rebuff

   Antonyms: take, accept

2. to decline to give; deny (a request, demand, etc.):

   to refuse permission.

3. to express a determination not to (do something):

   to refuse to discuss the question.

4. to decline to submit to.
5. (of a horse) to decline to leap over (a barrier).
6. to decline to accept (a suitor) in marriage.
7. 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.
8. Obsolete. to renounce.

verb (used without object)

, re·fused, re·fus·ing.

1. to decline acceptance, consent, or compliance.

refuse

²

[ ref-yoos ]

noun

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

adjective

1. rejected as worthless; discarded:

   refuse matter.

refuse

¹

/ rɪˈfjuːz /

verb

1. tr to decline to accept (something offered)

   to refuse a present

   to refuse promotion

2. to decline to give or grant (something) to (a person, organization, etc)
3. when tr, takes an infinitive to express determination not (to do something); decline

   he refuses to talk about it

4. (of a horse) to be unwilling to take (a jump), as by swerving or stopping
5. tr (of a woman) to declare one's unwillingness to accept (a suitor) as a husband

refuse

²

/ ˈrɛfjuːs /

noun

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

      a refuse collection

Derived Forms

• reˈfuser, noun
• reˈfusable, adjective

Other Words From

• re·fusa·ble adjective
• re·fuser noun
• quasi-re·fused adjective
• unre·fusa·ble adjective
• unre·fused adjective
• unre·fusing adjective

Word History and Origins

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”; 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of refuse¹

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

Origin of refuse²

C15: from Old French refuser to refuse ¹

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

But every senior military officer also takes an oath to defend the Constitution, and pledges to refuse illegal, unconstitutional or criminal directives.

From Los Angeles Times

If they refused, Buck would sometimes refuse to pay them.

From Los Angeles Times

“You have to wonder what signal this sends when the Bahraini authorities are unjustly prosecuting their critics, when human rights defenders are languishing in Bahraini jails and when the Manama authorities refuse to reinstate the citizenship of people rendered stateless on politically motivated charges,” said Allan Hogarth, Amnesty International UK’s head of government and political relations.

From BBC

Initially, some landlords might refuse to pay brokers, instead opting to handle the entire leasing process on their own.

From Salon

Brokers say getting rid of broker fees will actually lead to higher rents because landlords will refuse to pay brokers and instead include them in the rent — say, upping the rent by $400 a month, to spread out a $5,000 fee over a 12-month lease.

From Salon

Related Words

• debris
• rubbish
• trash
• waste