See also: refusé and re-fuse

EnglishEdit

Etymology 1Edit

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

PronunciationEdit

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

AdjectiveEdit

refuse (comparative more refuse, superlative most refuse)

  1. Discarded, rejected.

NounEdit

refuse (uncountable)

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

Etymology 2Edit

From Middle English refusen, from Old French refuser, from Vulgar Latin *refūsāre, a blend of Classical Latin refūtāre and recūtāre.

PronunciationEdit

VerbEdit

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 notesEdit
ConjugationEdit
SynonymsEdit
TranslationsEdit

NounEdit

refuse

  1. (obsolete) refusal

Etymology 3Edit

re- +‎ fuse

PronunciationEdit

VerbEdit

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

  1. To melt again.
ConjugationEdit
Related termsEdit

FrenchEdit

PronunciationEdit

VerbEdit

refuse

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

AnagramsEdit

LatinEdit

PronunciationEdit

ParticipleEdit

refūse

  1. vocative masculine singular of refūsus

ReferencesEdit