refuse

1 of 3

verb

re·​fuse ri-ˈfyüz How to pronounce refuse (audio)
refused; refusing
Synonyms of refusenext

transitive verb

1
: to express oneself as unwilling to accept
refuse a gift
refuse a promotion
2
a
: to show or express unwillingness to do or comply with
refused to answer the question
b
: to not allow someone to have or do (something) : deny
they were refused admittance to the game
3
obsolete : give up, renounce
deny thy father and refuse thy name—William Shakespeare
4
of a horse : to decline to jump or leap over

intransitive verb

: to withhold acceptance, compliance, or permission
refuser noun

refuse

2 of 3

noun

ref·​use ˈre-ˌfyüs How to pronounce refuse (audio)
-ˌfyüz
1
: the worthless or useless part of something : leavings
2
: trash, garbage

refuse

3 of 3

adjective

ref·​use ˈre-ˌfyüs How to pronounce refuse (audio)
-ˌfyüz
: thrown aside or left as worthless

Synonyms

Verb

Noun

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for refuse

decline, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn mean to turn away by not accepting, receiving, or considering.

decline often implies courteous refusal especially of offers or invitations.

declined his party's nomination

refuse suggests more positiveness or ungraciousness and often implies the denial of something asked for.

refused to lend them the money

reject implies a peremptory refusal by sending away or discarding.

rejected the manuscript as unpublishable

repudiate implies a casting off or disowning as untrue, unauthorized, or unworthy of acceptance.

teenagers who repudiate the values of their parents

spurn stresses contempt or disdain in rejection or repudiation.

spurned his overtures of friendship

Examples of refuse in a Sentence

Verb When they offered me the money, I couldn't refuse. They asked her to help but she refused. Noun refuse had littered the playground until our volunteer group cleaned it up
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Schumer didn’t break character, refusing to stop working as the woman carried on. —Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 30 Apr. 2024 Several Republican and Democratic lawmakers have told Qatar that if Hamas continues to refuse deals offered by mediators, the group does not deserve safe harbor in the Qatari capital. —Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for refuse 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'refuse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French refuser, from Vulgar Latin *refusare, perhaps blend of Latin refutare to refute and recusare to demur — more at recuse

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from refuser

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of refuse was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing refuse

Dictionary Entries Near refuse

refusal

refuse

refusenik

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Refuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refuse. Accessed 3 May. 2024.

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Kids Definition

refuse

1 of 2 verb
re·​fuse ri-ˈfyüz How to pronounce refuse (audio)
refused; refusing
1
: to say one will not accept : reject
refused the money
2
a
: to show or express positive unwillingness
refused to act
b
: to say one will not grant : deny
was refused entrance
3
: to withhold the accepting, following, or permitting of something
refuser noun

refuse

2 of 2 noun
ref·​use ˈref-ˌyüs How to pronounce refuse (audio)
-ˌyüz
: worthless things : trash

More from Merriam-Webster on refuse

Nglish: Translation of refuse for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of refuse for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about refuse

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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