refuse
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: enpr: rĕfʹyo͞os
ipa: /ˈɹɛfjuːs/
enpr: rĭfyo͞ozʹ
ipa: /ɹɪˈfjuːz/
rhymes: -uːz
enpr: rĕfʹyo͞os
ipa: /ˈɹɛfjuːs/
Forms: form: refuses
form: refusing
form: refused
form: refused
form: no-table-tags
form: glossary
form: refuse
form: refuse
form: refused
form: refuse
form: refusest
form: refused
form: refusedst
form: refuses
form: refuseth
form: refused
form: refuse
form: refused
form: refuse
form: refused
form: refuse
form: -
form: refusing
form: refused
Etymology: 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).
Senses: examples: text: My request for a pay rise was refused.
text: Eventually, the railway opened on Monday, December 14, 1896, with a universal fare of 1d. collected at the turnstiles, and conditions were immediately chaotic, as many passengers travelled round and round, and refused to leave the cars.
ref: 1955 January, Charles E. Lee, “The Glasgow Underground Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 24:
glosses: To decline (a request or demand).
examples: text: I refuse to listen to this nonsense any more.
text: I asked the star if I could have her autograph, but she refused.
text: If ye refuse […] ye shall be devoured with the sword.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Isaiah 1:20:
text: City were outclassed thereafter and Roberto Mancini said that substitute Carlos Tevez refused to play.
ref: 2011 September 27, Alistair Magowan, “Bayern Munich 2 - 0 Man City”, in BBC Sport:
text: Trump has explicitly refused to deal with the European Commission, seeking instead to conduct bilateral relations with individual EU countries.
ref: 2018, Michael Cottakis – LSE, “Colliding worlds: Donald Trump and the European Union”, in LSE's blog:
text: My thoughts are disturbed by a man and pooch trying to get off the front of the train. Despite hitting the door button, they refused to open.
ref: 2022 November 2, Paul Bigland, “New trains, old trains, and splendid scenery”, in RAIL, number 969, page 58:
glosses: To decline a request or demand, forbear; to withhold permission.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 1991 December 15, Saadia Everett, “Protest Beatings”, in Gay Community News, volume 19, number 22, page 4:
glosses: To withhold (something) from (someone); to not give it to them or to bar them from having it.
examples: text: to refuse the right wing while the left wing attacks
topics: government
military
politics
war
glosses: 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.
examples: text: Refuse thy name.
ref: c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:
glosses: To disown.
Synonyms: sense: decline
word: decline
sense: decline
word: reject
sense: decline
word: nill
sense: decline
word: say no to
sense: decline
word: turn down
sense: decline
word: veto
sense: decline
word: withsake
sense: decline
word: withsay
sense: decline a request or demand
word: say no
sense: decline a request or demand
word: forbear
Derived terms: offer one can't refuse
Related terms: refusal
refutal
refute