refuse
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to decline to accept (something offered).
to refuse an award.
- Synonyms:
- rebuff
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to decline to give; deny (a request, demand, etc.).
to refuse permission.
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to express a determination not to (do something).
to refuse to discuss the question.
-
to decline to submit to.
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(of a horse) to decline to leap over (a barrier).
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to decline to accept (a suitor) in marriage.
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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.
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Obsolete. to renounce.
verb (used without object)
noun
adjective
verb
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(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
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(of a horse) to be unwilling to take (a jump), as by swerving or stopping
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(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
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refusableadjective
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unrefusingadjective
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quasi-refusedadjective
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unrefusableadjective
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refusernoun
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unrefusedadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has refusedperfect 3rd person singular
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have refusedperfect
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have been refusingperfect progressive
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are refusingprogressive
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has been refusingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is refusingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
am refusingprogressive 1st person singular
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refusingparticiple
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refusessingular 3rd person
Past
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had refusedperfect
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was refusingprogressive singular
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were refusingprogressive plural
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refusedparticiple
-
had been refusingperfect progressive
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refusedsimple
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
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"The Civil Rights Movement"
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"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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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.
He and the government find themselves caught between an increasingly incensed public and a justice system whose magistrates and prosecutors refuse to be made scapegoats.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
When we hold anger and other emotions in, when we refuse to talk to our partners or friends — and you want people to read your minds — that’s when it becomes a problem.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
Yet last week we heard Blanche tell Congress the fund is off the table but also refuse to put that in writing.
From Slate • Jun. 9, 2026
I call the inclination to stay close to home “amusement park syndrome,” because people will drive long distances to go on roller-coasters but refuse to drive to another city to see a superior physician.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026
“My dad says some of his workers saw her. And now they refuse to step foot in that part of the forest.”
From "I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980" by Lauren Tarshis
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.
