Standard Lemma guide

refuse

adj · noun · verb · 16 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • rĕfʹyo͞os
  • /ˈɹɛfjuːs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rĭfyo͞ozʹ
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈfjuːz/
  • London: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, General-American: /ɹɪˈfjuz/
  • California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ɹɪˈfjʉːz/
  • New-Zealand: /ɹəˈfjʉːz/
  • rhymes with -uːz
  • rēfyo͞ozʹ
  • /ɹiːˈfjuːz/
  • CMU ARPABET: R AH0 F Y UW1 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: R EH1 F Y UW2 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 3: R IH0 F Y UW1 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Discarded, rejected.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Collectively, items or material that have been discarded; rubbish, garbage.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

refusal

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To decline (a request or demand).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • My request for a pay rise was refused.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To decline a request or demand, forbear; to withhold permission.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • I refuse to listen to this nonsense any more.
  • I asked the star if I could have her autograph, but she refused.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To withhold (something) from (someone); to not give it to them or to bar them from having it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ditransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: government, military, politics, war

Examples

  • to refuse the right wing while the left wing attacks

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To disown.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To fuse again, as with, or after, heating or melting.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

food that is discarded (as from a kitchen)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: garbage, food waste, scraps

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: waste, waste material, waste matter, waste product

11

verb

Meaning 11

show unwillingness towards

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he declined to join the group on a hike

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: decline

Antonyms: accept

Broader terms: react, respond

Narrower terms: reject, spurn, freeze off, scorn, pooh-pooh, disdain, turn down, contract out, regret, repudiate, disobey

12

verb

Meaning 12

refuse to let have

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She denies me every pleasure
  • he denies her her weekly allowance

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: deny

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: keep, hold on

Narrower terms: withhold, keep back

13

verb

Meaning 13

refuse to accept

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He refused my offer of hospitality

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: reject, pass up, turn down, decline

Antonyms: accept

Narrower terms: dishonor, dishonour, bounce

14

verb

Meaning 14

refuse entrance or membership

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • They turned away hundreds of fans
  • Black people were often rejected by country clubs

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: reject, turn down, turn away

Antonyms: none provided

15

verb

Meaning 15

elude, especially in a baffling way

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • This behavior defies explanation

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: defy, resist

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: elude, escape

Narrower terms: beggar

16

verb

Meaning 16

resist immunologically the introduction of some foreign tissue or organ

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • His body rejected the liver of the donor

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: resist, reject

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: react, respond

History

Etymology

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

From Middle English refusen, from Old French refuser, from Vulgar Latin *refūsāre, a blend of Classical Latin refūtāre (whence also refute) and recūsāre (whence also recuse).

Etymology tree Proto-Italic *wre- Latin re-der. Old French re-bor. Middle English re- English re- English fuse English refuse From re- + fuse.

Across languages

Translations

199 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: vullis — items or material that have been discarded
  • Afrikaans: rommel — items or material that have been discarded
  • Albanian: mbetje — items or material that have been discarded
  • Bulgarian: отпадъци (otpadǎci) — items or material that have been discarded
  • Catalan: rebuig — items or material that have been discarded
  • Cherokee: ᎤᏲ (uyo) — items or material that have been discarded
  • Chinese Mandarin: 垃圾 (lājī, lèsè) — items or material that have been discarded
  • Czech: odpad — items or material that have been discarded
  • Danish: affald — items or material that have been discarded
  • Dutch: afval — items or material that have been discarded
  • Dutch: vuilnis — items or material that have been discarded
  • Finnish: jäte — items or material that have been discarded
  • French: ordures — items or material that have been discarded
  • French: déchets — items or material that have been discarded
  • French: détritus — items or material that have been discarded
  • Galician: lixo — items or material that have been discarded
  • German: Abfall — items or material that have been discarded
  • German: Müll — items or material that have been discarded
  • Greek: απορρίματα (aporrímata) — items or material that have been discarded
  • Ancient Greek: φορυτός (phorutós) — items or material that have been discarded
  • Ancient Greek: σκύβαλον (skúbalon) — items or material that have been discarded
  • Hindi: कूड़ा (kūṛā) — items or material that have been discarded
  • Hindi: कचरा (kacrā) — items or material that have been discarded
  • Hungarian: hulladék — items or material that have been discarded
  • Hungarian: szemét — items or material that have been discarded
  • Indonesian: sampah — items or material that have been discarded
  • Irish: bruscar — items or material that have been discarded
  • Irish: dríodar — items or material that have been discarded
  • Irish: fuílleach — items or material that have been discarded
  • Italian: rifiuti — items or material that have been discarded
  • Japanese: ごみ (gomi) — items or material that have been discarded
  • Korean: 쓰레기 (sseuregi) — items or material that have been discarded
  • Lao: ຂີ້ເຫຍື້ອ (khī hư̄ai) — items or material that have been discarded
  • Latin: quisquiliae — items or material that have been discarded
  • Latin: scrūta — items or material that have been discarded
  • Māori: parapara — items or material that have been discarded
  • Māori: para — items or material that have been discarded
  • Māori: kapurangi — items or material that have been discarded
  • Norwegian Bokmål: avfall — items or material that have been discarded
  • Plautdietsch: Aufgank — items or material that have been discarded
  • Polish: odrzuty — items or material that have been discarded
  • Portuguese: lixo — items or material that have been discarded
  • Portuguese: descartado — items or material that have been discarded
  • Russian: отбро́сы (otbrósy) — items or material that have been discarded
  • Russian: отхо́ды (otxódy) — items or material that have been discarded
  • Russian: му́сор (músor) — items or material that have been discarded
  • Spanish: basura — items or material that have been discarded
  • Spanish: desechos — items or material that have been discarded
  • Spanish: rehús — items or material that have been discarded
  • Spanish: rejús — items or material that have been discarded
  • Spanish: rebús — items or material that have been discarded
  • Swedish: avfall — items or material that have been discarded
  • Swedish: avskräde — items or material that have been discarded
  • Swedish: skräp — items or material that have been discarded
  • Swedish: sopor — items or material that have been discarded
  • Swedish: rens — items or material that have been discarded
  • Thai: ขยะ (kà-yà) — items or material that have been discarded
  • Ukrainian: відхо́ди (vidxódy) — items or material that have been discarded
  • Ukrainian: сміття́ (smittjá) — items or material that have been discarded
  • Welsh: sbwriel — items or material that have been discarded
  • Welsh: sothach — items or material that have been discarded
  • Afrikaans: weier — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Arabic: رَفَضَ (rafaḍa) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Arabic: أَبَى (ʔabā) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Armenian: մերժել (meržel) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Bangi: boya — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Basque: uko egin — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Basque: baztertu — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Belarusian: адмаўля́ць (admawljácʹ) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Belarusian: адка́зваць (adkázvacʹ) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Bulgarian: отка́звам (otkázvam) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Burmese: ပယ်ရှား (paihra:) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Catalan: refusar — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Catalan: rebutjar — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Cebuano: balibad — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Chichewa: -kana — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Chinese Mandarin: 拒絕 /拒绝 (jùjué) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Chinese Mandarin: 回絕 /回绝 (huíjué) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Ngazidja Comorian: uhara — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Ngazidja Comorian: uharaya — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Cornish: denagha — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Czech: odmítnout — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Danish: afslå — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Dutch: weigeren — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Dutch: afslaan — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Esperanto: rifuzi — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Finnish: kieltäytyä — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • French: refuser — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Galician: recusar — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Georgian: უარყოფს (uarq̇ops) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Georgian: უარს ამბობს (uars ambobs) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Georgian: უარს იტყვის (uars iṭq̇vis) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • German: sich weigern — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • German: verweigern — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • German: ablehnen — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • German: abschlagen — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Gothic: 𐌱𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 (biwandjan) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Greek: αρνούμαι (arnoúmai) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Haitian Creole: refize — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Higaonon: balibad — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Hindi: अस्वीकार करना (asvīkār karnā) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Hindi: अस्वीकारना (asvīkārnā) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Hungarian: visszautasít — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Hungarian: megtagad — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Hungarian: elutasít — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Ido: refuzar — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Indonesian: menolak — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Irish: éar — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Irish: eitigh — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Irish: cuir suas do — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Italian: rifiutare — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Japanese: 断る (kotowaru) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Japanese: 拒む (kobamu) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Japanese: 否む (inamu) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Kapampangan: payalyan — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Khmer: បដិសេធ (paʼdesaet) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Korean: 거절하다 (geojeolhada) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Lao: ປະຕິເສດ (pa ti sēt) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Latin: abnegō — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Latin: recūsō — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Lingala: boya — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Macedonian: одбива (odbiva) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Macedonian: одбие (odbie) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Māori: whakanau — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Māori: kape — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Māori: meko — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Middle English: wernen — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Mongolian: татгалзах (tatgalzax) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Norman: r'fuser — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Norwegian Bokmål: avslå — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Odia: ନାହିଁ କରିବା (nāhĩ karibā) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Oromo: diduu — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Persian: رد کردن — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Polish: odrzucać impf odrzucić — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Portuguese: recusar — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Quechua: mana quy — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Quechua: mananchay — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Russian: отка́зывать (otkázyvatʹ) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Russian: отказа́ть (otkazátʹ) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Russian: отклоня́ть (otklonjátʹ) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Russian: отклони́ть (otklonítʹ) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Scottish Gaelic: diùlt — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Serbo-Croatian: о̀дбити — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Serbo-Croatian: òdbiti — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Sidamo: gib- — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Slovak: odmietať — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Slovak: odmietnuť — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Spanish: rehusar — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Swahili: -dinda — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Swahili: -kanusha — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Swedish: vägra — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Swedish: avslå — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Telugu: నిరాకరించు (nirākariñcu) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Thai: ปฏิเสธ (bpà-dtì-sèet) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Turkish: reddetmek — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Ukrainian: відмовля́ти (vidmovljáty) — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Vietnamese: từ chối — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Welsh: gwarafun — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Welsh: gwrthod — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Welsh: pallu — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Welsh: nacáu — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Welsh: gomedd — (transitive) decline (request, demand)
  • Afrikaans: weier — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Arabic: رَفَضَ (rafaḍa) — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Armenian: հրաժարվել (hražarvel) — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Bulgarian: отказвам се (otkazvam se) — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Catalan: refusar — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Chinese Mandarin: 拒絕 /拒绝 (jùjué) — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Esperanto: rifuziĝi — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Finnish: kieltäytyä — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Finnish: ei suostua — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • French: refuser — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Galician: refusar — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Georgian: უარყოფს (uarq̇ops) — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Georgian: უარს ამბობს (uars ambobs) — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Georgian: უარს იტყვის (uars iṭq̇vis) — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • German: sich weigern — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Greek: αρνούμαι (arnoúmai) — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Haitian Creole: refize — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Hindi: अस्वीकार करना (asvīkār karnā) — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Hindi: अस्वीकारना (asvīkārnā) — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Hungarian: nem hajlandó — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Indonesian: menolak — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Italian: rifiutarsi — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Japanese: 断る (kotowaru) — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Latin: abnegō — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Māori: tohe — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Norman: r'fuser — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Occitan: refusar — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Polish: odmówić — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Portuguese: recusar — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Russian: отка́зываться (otkázyvatʹsja) — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Russian: отказа́ться (otkazátʹsja) — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Scottish Gaelic: diùlt — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Spanish: rehusarse — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Swedish: vägra — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Telugu: నిరాకరించు (nirākariñcu) — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Thai: ปฏิเสธ (bpà-dtì-sèet) — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
  • Ukrainian: відмовля́тися (vidmovljátysja) — (intransitive) decline a request or demand
Real reading context

refuse in complete knowledge articles