to decline to accept (something offered): to refuse an award.
2.
to decline to give; deny (a request, demand, etc.): to refuse permission.
3.
to express a determination not to (do something): to refuse to discuss the question.
4.
to decline to submit to.
5.
(of a horse) to decline to leap over (a barrier).
6.
to decline to accept (a suitor) in marriage.
7.
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.
8.
Obsolete. to renounce.
–verb (used without object)
9.
to decline acceptance, consent, or compliance.
[Origin: 1300–50; ME refusen < MF refuser, OF ≪ L refūsus, ptp. of refundere to pour back; see refund1]
—Related forms
re·fus·a·ble, adjective
re·fus·er, noun
—Synonyms 1. rebuff. 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.
To indicate unwillingness to do, accept, give, or allow: She was refused admittance. He refused treatment.
To indicate unwillingness (to do something): refused to leave.
To decline to jump (an obstacle). Used of a horse.
v.
intr.
To decline to do, accept, give, or allow something.
[Middle English refusen, from Old French refuser, from Vulgar Latin *refūsāre, probably blend of Latin recūsāre, to refuse; see recuse and Latin refūtāre, refute; see refute.]
re·fus'er n.
Synonyms: These verbs all mean to be unwilling to accept, consider, or receive someone or something. Refuse usually implies determination and often brusqueness: "The commander . . . refused to discuss questions of right" (George Bancroft). "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse" (Mario Puzo).
To decline is to refuse courteously: "I declined election to the National Institute of Arts and Letters . . . and now I must decline the Pulitzer Prize" (Sinclair Lewis).
Reject suggests the discarding of someone or something as defective or useless; it implies categoric refusal: "He again offered himself for enlistment and was again rejected" (Arthur S.M. Hutchinson).
To spurn is to reject scornfully or contemptuously: "The more she spurns my love,/The more it grows" ( Shakespeare).
Rebuff pertains to blunt, often disdainful rejection: "He had . . . gone too far in his advances, and had been rebuffed" (Robert Louis Stevenson).
c.1300, from O.Fr. refuser (12c.), from V.L. *refusare, frequentative of pp. stem of L. refundere "pour back, give back" (see refund). Refusal first recorded 1474. Refusenik "Soviet Jew who has been refused permission to immigrate to Israel" (1975) is a partial transl. of Rus. otkaznik, from otkazat "to refuse."
c.1374 (adj.), "outcast;" meaning "waste, trash" is from c.1440; from O.Fr. refus "waste product, rubbish," a back-formation from the pp. of refuser (see refuse (v.)).
not to do what one has been asked, told or is expected to do Example: He refused to help me; She refused to believe what I said; When I asked him to leave, he refused.
Arabic:
يَرْفُض
Chinese (Simplified):
拒绝
Chinese (Traditional):
拒絕
Czech:
odmítnout
Danish:
nægte
Dutch:
weigeren
Estonian:
keelduma
Finnish:
kieltäytyä
French:
refuser de
German:
sich weigern
Greek:
αρνούμαι
Hungarian:
megtagad
Icelandic:
neita
Indonesian:
tak mau
Japanese:
拒絶する
Korean:
(요구·명령 등을) 거절하다
Latvian:
atteikties
Lithuanian:
atsisakyti, nesutikti
Norwegian:
nekte, avvise
Polish:
odmówić
Portuguese (Brazil):
recusar(-se) a
Portuguese (Portugal):
recusar
Romanian:
a refuza (să)
Russian:
отказываться
Slovak:
odmietnuť
Slovenian:
odkloniti
Spanish:
negarse (a)
Swedish:
vägra
Turkish:
reddetmek
refuse2[rəˈfjuːz]verb
not to accept Example: He refused my offer of help; They refused our invitation; She refused the money.
Arabic:
يَرْفُض، لا يَقْبَل
Chinese (Simplified):
拒受
Chinese (Traditional):
拒受
Czech:
nepřijmout
Danish:
afslå
Dutch:
weigeren
Estonian:
keelduma
Finnish:
kieltäytyä
French:
refuser
German:
ablehnen
Greek:
απορρίπτω, αποποιούμαι
Hungarian:
visszautasít
Icelandic:
hafna
Indonesian:
menolak
Japanese:
拒む
Korean:
(제의를) 거절하다
Latvian:
atteikt; atteikties; noraidīt
Lithuanian:
atmesti, atsisakyti
Norwegian:
avslå, vegre seg
Polish:
odrzucić
Portuguese (Brazil):
recusar
Portuguese (Portugal):
recusar
Romanian:
a refuza
Russian:
отвергать
Slovak:
neprijať
Slovenian:
odkloniti
Spanish:
rechazar
Swedish:
tacka nej till, avböja
Turkish:
kabul etmemek
refuse3[rəˈfjuːz]verb
not to give (permission etc) Example: I was refused admittance to the meeting.
Re*fund"\ (r?*f?nd"), v. t. [L. refundere; pref. re- re- + fundere to pour: cf. F. refondre, refonder. See Fuse to melt, and cf. Refound to cast again, 1st Refuse.]1. To pour back. [R. & Obs.] Were the humors of the eye tinctured with any color, they would refund that color upon the object. --Ray. 2. To give back; to repay; to restore. A governor, that had pillaged the people, was . . . sentenced to refund what he had wrongfully taken. --L'Estrange. 3. To supply again with funds; to reimburse. [Obs.]
Re*fuse"\ (r?*f?z"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Refused (-f?zd"); p. pr. & vb. n. Refusing.] [F. refuser, either from (assumed) LL. refusare to refuse, v. freq. of L. refundere to pour back, give back, restore (see Refund to repay), or. fr. L. recusare to decline, refuse cf. Accuse, Ruse), influenced by L. refutare to drive back, repel, refute. Cf. Refute.]1. To deny, as a request, demand, invitation, or command; to decline to do or grant. That never yet refused your hest. --Chaucer. 2. (Mil.) To throw back, or cause to keep back (as the center, a wing, or a flank), out of the regular aligment when troops ar? about to engage the enemy; as, to refuse the right wing while the left wing attacks. 3. To decline to accept; to reject; to deny the request or petition of; as, to refuse a suitor. The cunning workman never doth refuse The meanest tool that he may chance to use. --Herbert. 4. To disown. [Obs.] "Refuse thy name." --Shak.
Re*fuse"\, v. i. To deny compliance; not to comply. Too proud to ask, too humble to refuse. --Garth. If ye refuse . . . ye shall be devoured with the sword. --Isa. i. 20.
Ref`use\ (r?f"?s;277), n. [F. refus refusal, also, that which is refused. See Refuse to deny.] That which is refused or rejected as useless; waste or worthless matter. Syn: Dregs; sediment; scum; recrement; dross.
Ref`use\ (r?f"?s;277), n. [F. refus refusal, also, that which is refused. See Refuse to deny.] That which is refused or rejected as useless; waste or worthless matter. Syn: Dregs; sediment; scum; recrement; dross.
Ref"use\, a. Refused; rejected; hence; left as unworthy of acceptance; of no value; worthless. Everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly. --1. Sam. xv. 9.
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Audio Help [ri-fyooz] Pronunciation Key verb, -fused, -fus·ing. 
