refuse

English

Etymology 1

Borrowed into late Middle English from Middle French refusé, past participle of refuser (“to refuse”). Displaced native Middle English wernen (“to refuse”)

Pronunciation

• enPR: rĕfʹyo͞os, IPA^(key): /ˈɹɛfjuːs/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Adjective

refuse (comparative more refuse, superlative most refuse)

1. Discarded, rejected.

Noun

refuse (uncountable)

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

Synonyms

• discards
• garbage (US)
• rubbish (UK)
• trash (US)
• See also Thesaurus:trash

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

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).

Pronunciation

• enPR: rĭfyo͞ozʹ, IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈfjuːz/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːz

Verb

refuse (third-person singular simple present refuses, present participle refusing, simple past and past participle refused)

1. (transitive) To decline (a request or demand).

   My request for a pay rise was refused.

2. (intransitive) To decline a request or demand, forbear; to withhold permission.

   I refuse to listen to this nonsense any more.

   I asked the star if I could have her autograph, but she refused.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Isaiah 1:20:

     If ye refuse […] ye shall be devoured with the sword.

   • 2011 September 27, Alistair Magowan, “Bayern Munich 2 - 0 Man City”, in BBC Sport‎:

     City were outclassed thereafter and Roberto Mancini said that substitute Carlos Tevez refused to play.

   • 2018, Michael Cottakis – LSE, “Colliding worlds: Donald Trump and the European Union”, in LSE's blog‎:

     Trump has explicitly refused to deal with the European Commission, seeking instead to conduct bilateral relations with individual EU countries.

   • 2022 November 2, Paul Bigland, “New trains, old trains, and splendid scenery”, in RAIL, number 969, page 58:

     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.

3. (military) 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.

   to refuse the right wing while the left wing attacks

4. (obsolete, transitive) To disown.
   • 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 Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     Refuse thy name.

Usage notes

• This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs.

Conjugation

Synonyms

• (decline): decline, reject, nill, say no to, turn down, veto, withsake, withsay
• (decline a request or demand): say no, forbear

Derived terms

• offer one can't refuse

Translations

Noun

refuse

1. (obsolete) refusal
   • 1600, [Torquato Tasso], “The Twelfth Booke of Godfrey of Bulloigne”, in Edward Fairefax [i.e., Edward Fairfax], transl., Godfrey of Bulloigne, or The Recouerie of Ierusalem. , London: Ar Hatfield, for I Iaggard and M Lownes, →OCLC, stanza 13, page 215:

     This ſpoken, readie with a proud refuſe [...]

Etymology 3

re- +‎ fuse

Pronunciation

• enPR: rēfyo͞ozʹ, IPA^(key): /ɹiːˈfjuːz/
• Rhymes: -uːz

Verb

refuse (third-person singular simple present refuses, present participle refusing, simple past and past participle refused)

1. To melt again.

Conjugation

Related terms

• refusion

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁə.fyz/

• Audio

  (file)

Verb

refuse

1. inflection of refuser:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

Anagrams

• férues

Galician

Verb

refuse

1. inflection of refusar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /reˈfuː.se/,
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /reˈfu.se/,

Participle

refūse

1. vocative masculine singular of refūsus

References

• “refuse”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press