refuse
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refuse¹
- /ˈɹɛfjuːs/
Where it comes from
Borrowed into late Middle English from Middle French refusé, past participle of refuser (“to refuse”). Displaced native Middle English wernen (“to refuse”) likely due to the similar sounding Middle English warnen
adjective more refuse · most refuse
- Discarded, rejected. Upon the floor within, were piled up heaps of rusty keys, nails, chains, hinges, files, scales, weights, and refuse iron of all kinds.
refuse²
- /ɹɪˈfjuːz/ UK
- /ɹɪˈfjuz/ Canada, US
- /ɹɪˈfjʉːz/ Australia
- /ɹəˈfjʉːz/ New Zealand
Rhymes with -uːz
Where it comes from
From Middle English refusen, from Old French refuser, from Vulgar Latin *refūsāre, either from a blend of Classical Latin refūtāre (whence also refute) and recūsāre (whence also recuse) or from Latin refūsus, the perfect passive participle of refundere (“to pour back”, whence also refund).
verb refuses · refusing · refused · refuse
-
To decline (a request or demand).
My request for a pay rise was refused.
Similar: decline, reject, nill, say no to, turn down, veto, withsake, withsay, negative, say no, forbear
- To decline a request or demand, forbear; to withhold permission. I refuse to listen to this nonsense any more.
- To withhold (something) from (someone); to not give it to them or to bar them from having it. If we bang or scream they will spray us with some pepper or something else that's in an aeresol ^([sic]) can, and they wear gas masks, while the rest of us have to breathe the fumes in, and it makes us very sick and they refuse us medical treatment.
- To throw back, or cause to keep back (as the centre, a wing, or a flank), out of the regular alignment when troops are about to engage the enemy. to refuse the right wing while the left wing attacks
- To disown. Refuse thy name.
noun
- refusal This ſpoken, readie with a proud refuſe [...]
refuse³
- /ɹiːˈfjuːz/
Rhymes with -uːz
verb refuses · refusing · refused · refuse
- To fuse again, as with, or after, heating or melting.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: turn down, reject, deny, turn away, resist, defy, decline, pass up, garbage, food waste, scraps, rejection, repel, disqualify, rebuff, nullify
Translations
Every language
noun items or material that have been discarded
| Español | basura, desechos, rehús, rejús, rebús |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 쓰레기 sseuregi |
| 日本語 | ごみ gomi |
| 中文 | 垃圾 lājī, lèsè |
| हिन्दी | कूड़ा kūṛā, कचरा kacrā |
| Português | lixo, descartado |
| Français | ordures, déchets, détritus |
| Deutsch | Abfall, Müll |
| Italiano | rifiuti |
| Ελληνικά | απορρίματα aporrímata |
| Русский | отбро́сы otbrósy, отхо́ды otxódy, му́сор músor |
verb (transitive) decline (request, demand)
| Español | rehusar |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 거절하다 geojeolhada |
| 日本語 | 断る kotowaru, 拒む kobamu, 否む inamu |
| 中文 | 拒絕 /拒绝 jùjué, 回絕 /回绝 huíjué |
| हिन्दी | अस्वीकार करना asvīkār karnā, अस्वीकारना asvīkārnā |
| Kiswahili | -dinda, -kanusha |
| Português | recusar |
| Français | refuser |
| Deutsch | sich weigern, verweigern, ablehnen, abschlagen |
| Italiano | rifiutare |
| Ελληνικά | αρνούμαι arnoúmai |
| Русский | отка́зывать otkázyvatʹ, отказа́ть otkazátʹ, отклоня́ть otklonjátʹ, отклони́ть otklonítʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | từ chối |
| العربية | رَفَضَ rafaḍa, أَبَى ʔabā |
verb (intransitive) decline a request or demand
| Español | rehusarse |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 断る kotowaru |
| 中文 | 拒絕 /拒绝 jùjué |
| हिन्दी | अस्वीकार करना asvīkār karnā, अस्वीकारना asvīkārnā |
| Português | recusar |
| Français | refuser |
| Deutsch | sich weigern |
| Italiano | rifiutarsi |
| Ελληνικά | αρνούμαι arnoúmai |
| Русский | отка́зываться otkázyvatʹsja, отказа́ться otkazátʹsja |
| العربية | رَفَضَ rafaḍa |
Talk about this word "refuse." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/refuse. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. refuse. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/refuse "refuse." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/refuse.Cite this
@misc{refuse_2026,
title = {refuse},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/refuse},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
