Synonyms of refuse

refuse 1 of 3

verb

ri-ˈfyüz 

1

as in to deny

to be unwilling to grant

the reclusive movie star usually refuses requests for interviews

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deny
• reject
• decline
• withhold
• disallow
• disapprove
• forbid
• negative
• prohibit
• keep
• restrict
• veto
• proscribe
• nix
• enjoin
• ban
• reprobate
• restrain
• spurn
• check
• hold
• repel
• constrain
• impede
• repress
• curb
• hinder
• obstruct
• rebuff
• balk (at)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• let
• permit
• allow
• provide
• afford
• concede
• grant
• give
• okay
• furnish
• supply
• OK
• authorize
• license
• acquiesce
• agree (to)
• warrant
• commission
• consent (to)
• accede (to)
• assent (to)
• sanction
• licence
• accord
• vouchsafe

2

as in to reject

to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to

she refused the award, citing the hard work of others who deserved the recognition more than she did

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reject
• decline
• ignore
• deny
• pass
• dismiss
• spurn
• avoid
• forbid
• withdraw
• veto
• disapprove
• repudiate
• dispute
• pass up
• turn down
• deselect
• balk (at)
• throw over
• throw out
• negative
• nix
• prohibit
• reprobate
• renounce
• overrule
• revoke
• proscribe
• retract
• rebuff
• disdain
• forbear
• turn one's back on
• disavow
• disclaim
• recall
• scorn
• scout
• refrain (from)
• recant
• refute
• gainsay
• foreswear
• contradict
• forswear
• blow off
• stick
• abjure
• disown
• take back
• shoot down
• abstain (from)
• controvert
• disprove
• bypass
• disallow
• rebut
• negate
• renege
• disagree (with)
• unsay
• backtrack
• detour
• back down
• back off

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• accept
• approve
• agree (to)
• receive
• tolerate
• take
• adopt
• swallow
• embrace
• condone
• agree
• welcome
• choose
• acquiesce
• accede
• consent
• select
• countenance
• assent
• support
• espouse
• handpick

refuse

2 of 3

noun

ˈre-ˌfyüs 

as in garbage

discarded or useless material

refuse had littered the playground until our volunteer group cleaned it up

Synonyms & Similar Words

• garbage
• debris
• trash
• rubbish
• dust
• junk
• truck
• litter
• sewage
• rubble
• waste
• scrap
• offal
• raffle
• chaff
• dross
• effluvia
• deadwood
• riffraff
• wash
• drek
• effluvium
• offscouring
• spilth
• reject
• wreckage
• lumber
• dreck
• ruins
• discard
• dump
• remains
• swill
• scrap heap
• detritus
• nothing
• crud
• cull
• odds and ends
• trumpery
• straw
• slop
• flotsam
• two bits
• jetsam
• castoff
• throwaway
• hand-me-down

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• catch
• find
• prize
• treasure
• treasure trove
• plum
• pearl
• gem
• jewel
• trove
• salvage
• goodie
• valuable
• goody
• booty

refuse

3 of 3

adjective

as in discarded

Synonyms & Similar Words

• discarded
• ignored
• waste
• neglected
• junked
• rejected
• unattended
• jettisoned
• untended
• cast-off
• forgotten
• deserted
• shabby
• forsaken
• castaway
• vacated
• abandoned
• miserable
• godforsaken
• vacant
• disused
• void
• derelict
• idle
• wretched
• desolate
• empty

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• saved
• recovered
• redeemed
• reclaimed
• salvaged
• retrieved
• restored
• rescued
• reconditioned
• rehabilitated
• rehabbed
• repeopled

Synonym Chooser

How is the word refuse different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of refuse are decline, reject, repudiate, and spurn. While all these words mean "to turn away by not accepting, receiving, or considering," refuse suggests more positiveness or ungraciousness and often implies the denial of something asked for.

refused to lend them the money

In what contexts can decline take the place of refuse?

In some situations, the words decline and refuse are roughly equivalent. However, decline often implies courteous refusal especially of offers or invitations.

declined his party's nomination

When is reject a more appropriate choice than refuse?

The synonyms reject and refuse are sometimes interchangeable, but reject implies a peremptory refusal by sending away or discarding.

rejected the manuscript as unpublishable

When can repudiate be used instead of refuse?

The words repudiate and refuse can be used in similar contexts, but repudiate implies a casting off or disowning as untrue, unauthorized, or unworthy of acceptance.

teenagers who repudiate the values of their parents

When could spurn be used to replace refuse?

Although the words spurn and refuse have much in common, spurn stresses contempt or disdain in rejection or repudiation.

spurned his overtures of friendship

Examples of refuse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Lillian Diallo, president of the Wayne County Criminal Defense Bar Association, said inmates are protesting conditions inside the new facility by refusing to leave holding areas for their court hearings. —Andrea May Sahouri, Detroit Free Press, 10 Sep. 2024

Everything that characterizes a life lived by moral principles—consistently abiding by them, valuing prosocial ends, refusing to consider costs and benefits, and maintaining that these principles exist for a transcendental reason—seems perfectly engineered to make a person look trustworthy. —Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024

Noun

Takeoffs and landings at South Korea’s Incheon International Airport were disrupted on Wednesday for about three hours before dawn because of balloons launched by North Korea filled with refuse, an airport spokesperson said. —CNN, 26 June 2024

The hundreds of daily overnight campers can use composting toilets on site and are asked to pack out refuse. —CBS News, 14 June 2024

Adjective