See also: refusé and re-fuse

English edit

Etymology 1 edit

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

Pronunciation edit

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

Adjective edit

refuse (comparative more refuse, superlative most refuse)

  1. Discarded, rejected.

Noun edit

refuse (uncountable)

  1. Collectively, items or material that have been discarded; rubbish, garbage.
Synonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Translations edit

Etymology 2 edit

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 edit

Verb edit

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[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. (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.
Usage notes edit
Conjugation edit
Synonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Translations edit

Noun edit

refuse

  1. (obsolete) refusal

Etymology 3 edit

re- +‎ fuse

Pronunciation edit

Verb edit

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

  1. To melt again.
Conjugation edit
Related terms edit

French edit

Pronunciation edit

Verb edit

refuse

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

Anagrams edit

Galician edit

Verb edit

refuse

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

Latin edit

Pronunciation edit

Participle edit

refūse

  1. vocative masculine singular of refūsus

References edit