refuse

See also: refusé and re-fuse

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

• bulky refuse
• refuse bin
• refuse chute
• refuse collector

Translations

items or material that have been discarded

• Afrikaans: vullis, rommel
• Albanian: mbetje (sq)
• Bulgarian: отпадъци (bg) m pl (otpadǎci)
• Catalan: rebuig (ca) m
• Cherokee: ᎤᏲ (uyo)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 垃圾 (zh) (lājī, lèsè)

• Czech: odpad (cs) m
• Danish: affald (da) n
• Dutch: afval (nl), vuilnis (nl)
• Finnish: jäte (fi)
• French: ordures (fr) f pl, déchets (fr) m pl, détritus (fr) m pl
• Galician: lixo (gl) m
• German: Abfall (de) m, Müll (de) m
• Greek: απορρίματα n pl (aporrímata)

  Ancient Greek: φορυτός m (phorutós), σκύβαλον n (skúbalon)

• Hindi: कूड़ा (hi) m (kūṛā), कचरा (hi) m (kacrā)
• Hungarian: hulladék (hu), szemét (hu)
• Indonesian: sampah (id)
• Irish: bruscar (ga) m, dríodar m, fuílleach m
• Italian: rifiuti (it) m pl
• Japanese: ごみ (ja) (gomi)
• Korean: 쓰레기 (ko) (sseuregi)
• Lao: ຂີ້ເຫຍື້ອ (lo) (khī hư̄ai)
• Latin: quisquiliae (la) f pl, scrūta n pl
• Māori: parapara, para, kapurangi
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: avfall (no) n

• Plautdietsch: Aufgank m
• Polish: odrzuty pl
• Portuguese: lixo (pt) m, descartado (pt)
• Russian: отбро́сы (ru) m pl (otbrósy), отхо́ды (ru) m pl (otxódy), му́сор (ru) m (músor)
• Spanish: basura (es) f, desechos (es) m pl, rehús (es) m, rejús m, rebús (es) m
• Swedish: avfall (sv) n, avskräde (sv) n, skräp (sv) n, sopor (sv) c, rens (sv) n
• Thai: ขยะ (th) (kà-yà)
• Ukrainian: відхо́ди (vidxódy), сміття́ (smittjá)
• Welsh: sbwriel (cy) m, sothach m

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.

   • 1955 January, Charles E. Lee, “The Glasgow Underground Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 24:

     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.

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.

   • 1948 March 1, “Duel in Korea”, in World Week, volume 12, number 5, Scholastic Corporation, page 10, column 2:

     The U. N. sent a commission to arrange for election of a Korean government. Russia and her satellites declined to cooperate with this Commission. Russia refused to let the Commission hold an election in north Korea, or even to enter north Korea. In southern Korea Leftist parties refused to meet with the Commission.

   • 2011 September 27, Alistair Magowan, “Bayern Munich 2 - 0 Man City”, in BBC Sport‎^[1]:

     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^[2]:

     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. (ditransitive) To withhold (something) from (someone); to not give it to them or to bar them from having it.
   • 1991 December 15, Saadia Everett, “Protest Beatings”, in Gay Community News, volume 19, number 22, page 4:

     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.

4. (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

5. (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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:

     Refuse thy name.

Usage notes

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

Conjugation

Conjugation of refuse

infinitive	(to) refuse
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	refuse	refused
2nd-person singular	refuse, refusest†	refused, refusedst†
3rd-person singular	refuses, refuseth†	refused
plural	refuse
subjunctive	refuse	refused
imperative	refuse	—
participles	refusing	refused

^† Archaic or obsolete.

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
• refusable
• refusednik
• refusingly
• unrefused
• unrefusing

Related terms

• refusal
• refutal
• refute

Translations

(transitive) decline (request, demand)

• Afrikaans: weier
• Arabic: رَفَضَ (rafaḍa), أَبَى (ar) (ʔabā)
• Armenian: մերժել (hy) (meržel)
• Bangi: boya
• Basque: uko egin, baztertu
• Belarusian: адмаўля́ць impf (admawljácʹ), адка́зваць impf (adkázvacʹ)
• Bulgarian: отка́звам (bg) impf (otkázvam)
• Burmese: ပယ်ရှား (my) (paihra:)
• Catalan: refusar (ca), rebutjar (ca)
• Cebuano: balibad
• Chichewa: -kana
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 拒絕 / 拒绝 (zh) (jùjué), 回絕 / 回绝 (zh) (huíjué)

• Comorian:

  Ngazidja Comorian: uhara, uharaya

• Cornish: denagha
• Czech: odmítnout (cs)
• Danish: afslå (da)
• Dutch: weigeren (nl), afslaan (nl)
• Esperanto: rifuzi (eo)
• Finnish: kieltäytyä (fi) (+ elative)
• French: refuser (fr)
• Galician: recusar
• Georgian: უარყოფს (uarq̇ops), უარს ამბობს (uars ambobs), უარს იტყვის (uars iṭq̇vis)
• German: sich weigern, verweigern (de), ablehnen (de), abschlagen (de)
• Gothic: 𐌱𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 (biwandjan)
• Greek: αρνούμαι (el) (arnoúmai)
• Haitian Creole: refize
• Higaonon: balibad
• Hindi: अस्वीकार करना (asvīkār karnā), अस्वीकारना (asvīkārnā)
• Hungarian: visszautasít (hu), megtagad (hu), elutasít (hu)
• Ido: refuzar (io)
• Indonesian: menolak (id)
• Irish: éar, eitigh, cuir suas do
• Italian: rifiutare (it)
• Japanese: 断る (ja) (ことわる, kotowaru), 拒む (ja) (こばむ, kobamu), 否む (ja) (いなむ, inamu)
• Kapampangan: payalyan
• Khmer: បដិសេធ (km) (paʼdesaet)
• Korean: 거절하다 (ko) (geojeolhada)
• Lao: ປະຕິເສດ (pa ti sēt)
• Latin: abnegō, recūsō
• Lingala: boya
• Macedonian: одбива impf (odbiva), одбие pf (odbie)
• Māori: whakanau, kape, meko
• Middle English: wernen
• Mongolian: татгалзах (mn) (tatgalzax)
• Norman: r'fuser
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: avslå (no)

• Odia: ନାହିଁ କରିବା (or) (nāhĩ karibā)
• Oromo: diduu
• Persian: رد کردن (fa)
• Polish: odrzucać (pl) impf
• Portuguese: recusar (pt)
• Quechua: mana quy, mananchay
• Russian: отка́зывать (ru) impf (otkázyvatʹ), отказа́ть (ru) pf (otkazátʹ), отклоня́ть (ru) impf (otklonjátʹ), отклони́ть (ru) pf (otklonítʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: diùlt
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: о̀дбити pf

  Latin: òdbiti (sh) pf

• Sidamo: gib-
• Slovak: odmietať impf, odmietnuť pf
• Spanish: rehusar (es)
• Swahili: -dinda (sw), -kanusha (sw)
• Swedish: vägra (sv), avslå (sv)
• Telugu: నిరాకరించు (te) (nirākariñcu)
• Thai: ปฏิเสธ (th) (bpà-dtì-sèet)
• Turkish: reddetmek (tr)
• Ukrainian: відмовля́ти impf (vidmovljáty)
• Vietnamese: từ chối (vi)
• Welsh: gwarafun (cy), gwrthod (cy), pallu (cy), nacáu (cy), gomedd

(intransitive) decline a request or demand

• Afrikaans: weier
• Arabic: رَفَضَ (rafaḍa)
• Armenian: հրաժարվել (hy) (hražarvel)
• Bulgarian: отказвам се (otkazvam se)
• Catalan: refusar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 拒絕 / 拒绝 (zh) (jùjué)

• Esperanto: rifuziĝi
• Finnish: kieltäytyä (fi), ei suostua
• French: refuser (fr)
• Galician: refusar
• Georgian: უარყოფს (uarq̇ops), უარს ამბობს (uars ambobs), უარს იტყვის (uars iṭq̇vis)
• German: sich weigern
• Greek: αρνούμαι (el) (arnoúmai)
• Haitian Creole: refize
• Hindi: अस्वीकार करना (asvīkār karnā), अस्वीकारना (asvīkārnā)
• Hungarian: nem hajlandó
• Indonesian: menolak (id)
• Italian: rifiutarsi (it)
• Japanese: 断る (ja) (ことわる, kotowaru)
• Latin: abnegō
• Māori: tohe
• Norman: r'fuser
• Occitan: refusar (oc)
• Polish: odmówić (pl) pf
• Portuguese: recusar (pt)
• Russian: отка́зываться (ru) impf (otkázyvatʹsja), отказа́ться (ru) pf (otkazátʹsja)
• Scottish Gaelic: diùlt
• Spanish: rehusarse (es)
• Swedish: vägra (sv)
• Telugu: నిరాకరించు (te) (nirākariñcu)
• Thai: ปฏิเสธ (th) (bpà-dtì-sèet)
• Ukrainian: відмовля́тися (vidmovljátysja)

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[nold] Hatfield, for I[saac] Iaggard and M[atthew] Lownes, →OCLC, stanza 13, page 215:

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

Etymology 3

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

Conjugation

Conjugation of refuse

infinitive	(to) refuse
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	refuse	refused
2nd-person singular
3rd-person singular	refuses
plural	refuse
subjunctive	refuse	refused
imperative	refuse	—
participles	refusing	refused

Related terms

• refusion

See also

• reinfuse
• rejoin
• reweld

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁə.fyz/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (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 Latin) IPA^(key): [rɛˈfuː.sɛ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [reˈfuː.s̬e]

Participle

refūse

1. vocative masculine singular of refūsus

References

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