Definition of refuse
Definition of refuse from Dictionary.com, the world’s leading online source for English definitions, pronunciations, word origins, idioms, Word of the Day, and more.
refuse
1
[ ri-
fyooz
]
/ rɪˈfyuz /
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See synonyms for:
/
refused
/
refusing
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.
SYNONYMS FOR
refuse
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refuse
on Thesaurus.com
ANTONYMS FOR
refuse
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refuse
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Origin of
refuse
1
refusen,
from Middle French
refuser,
Old French ultimately from Latin
refūsus,
past participle of
refundere
“to pour back”; see
refund
1
synonym study for refuse
1
.
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 WORDS FROM refuse
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
Definition for
refuse
(2 of 2)
refuse
2
[
ref
-yoos ]
/ ˈrɛf yus /
noun
something that is discarded as worthless or useless; rubbish; trash; garbage.
adjective
rejected as worthless; discarded:
refuse matter.
Origin of
refuse
2
refus
denial, rejection, derivative of
refuser
to
refuse
1
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Words related to
refuse
debris
,
waste
,
trash
,
rubbish
,
decline
,
turn down
,
withhold
,
ignore
,
protest
,
withdraw
,
reject
,
rebuff
,
residue
,
dregs
,
junk
,
leavings
,
slop
,
dump
,
swill
,
remains
Example sentences from the Web for
refuse
Thompson had urged Tyson to close the plant, but the company
refuse
d.
Tyson Managers Allegedly Bet on How Many Meat Plant Workers Would Get COVID-19
|
Jaya Saxena
|
November 19, 2020
|
Eater
Furthermore, I
refuse
d to settle for just any über-tree, just any two-bit, run-of-the-mill megabody.
On Sleeping in the Largest Organism on Earth
|
Leath Tonino
|
November 19, 2020
|
Outside Online
At the time, it followed national government policy, which
refuse
s to pay compensation for damage related to climate change.
Asia’s biggest climate migration
|
Konstantin Kakaes
|
November 19, 2020
|
MIT Technology Review
It said Dunleavy and Stevens were aware the attorney general had been sending inappropriate messages and inviting the woman to his home but had
refuse
d to sanction him.
Junior Staffer Says Top Alaska Official Told Her to Keep Allegations of Misconduct Secret
|
by Kyle Hopkins, Anchorage Daily News
|
November 18, 2020
|
ProPublica
There, even as doctors stitched his wounds, he continued to
refuse
pain medication.
What’s Wrong with Jeb’s Brain?
|
Daniel Duane
|
November 18, 2020
|
Outside Online
And now Portland, Los Angeles, and San Francisco are all suing Uber for refusing to play by their old regulatory playbooks.
Why Do ‘Progressives’ Want to Ban Uber and AirBnB?
|
Adam Thierer, Christopher Koopman
|
December 30, 2014
|
DAILY BEAST
The video showing cops piling on Eric Garner in Staten Island for refusing arrest elicited outrage across ideological lines.
The GOP and Police Unions: A Love Story
|
Eleanor Clift
|
December 12, 2014
|
DAILY BEAST
Leto immersed himself in the role completely, slimming down to 116 pounds and refusing to break character on set.
Renaissance Man Jared Leto Defies Categorization
|
The Daily Beast
|
December 8, 2014
|
DAILY BEAST
By September 2013, rumors were leaking online that TRN was allegedly refusing to pay its talent.
The Godfather of Right-Wing Radio
|
Caitlin Dickson
|
November 23, 2014
|
DAILY BEAST
He had as a helpful ally in this Adolf Hitler, who kept refusing to believe the Normandy landings were the main landings.
Blood in the Sand: When James Jones Wrote a Grunt’s View of D-Day
|
James Jones
|
November 15, 2014
|
DAILY BEAST
The court paid him the high compliment of refusing his suit, declaring that he had himself inflicted sufficient punishment.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;
|
Various
I swung my horse around in his tracks and raced him back to the poplars, knowing what I would find, and yet refusing to believe.
|
Bertrand W. Sinclair
Even old Mrs. Stott had to kill her own poultry for the market though she’d strap him well for refusing.
|
Evelyn Raymond
Though we cannot do other duties perfectly, we would not be warranted in refusing to perform these.
|
John Cunningham
You need not fear to offend by refusing to take wine with a gentleman, even your host.
The Ladies’ Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness
|
Florence Hartley
British Dictionary definitions for
refuse
(1 of 2)
refuse
1
/ (
rɪˈfjuːz
) /
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
Derived forms of refuse
refusable
,
adjective
refuser
,
noun
Word Origin for
refuse
refuser
, from Latin
refundere
to pour back; see
refund
British Dictionary definitions for
refuse
(2 of 2)
refuse
2
/ (
ˈrɛfjuːs
) /
noun
anything thrown away; waste; rubbish
(
as modifier
)
a refuse collection
Word Origin for
refuse
refuser
to
refuse
1
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