refuse

verb

re·fuse | \ ri-ˈfyüz

refused; refusing

Definition of refuse

(Entry 1 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to express oneself as unwilling to accept refuse a gift refuse a promotion

2a : to show or express unwillingness to do or comply with refused to answer the question

b : to not allow someone to have or do (something) : deny they were refused admittance to the game

3 obsolete : give up, renounce deny thy father and refuse thy name— William Shakespeare

4 of a horse : to decline to jump or leap over

intransitive verb

: to withhold acceptance, compliance, or permission

refuse

noun

ref·use | \ ˈre-ˌfyüs

, -ˌfyüz\

Definition of refuse (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : the worthless or useless part of something : leavings

2 : trash, garbage

refuse

adjective

ref·use | \ ˈre-ˌfyüs

, -ˌfyüz\

Definition of refuse (Entry 3 of 3)

: thrown aside or left as worthless

Other Words from refuse Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about refuse

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Choose the Right Synonym for refuse

Verb

decline, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn mean to turn away by not accepting, receiving, or considering. decline often implies courteous refusal especially of offers or invitations. declined his party's nomination refuse suggests more positiveness or ungraciousness and often implies the denial of something asked for. refused to lend them the money reject implies a peremptory refusal by sending away or discarding. rejected the manuscript as unpublishable repudiate implies a casting off or disowning as untrue, unauthorized, or unworthy of acceptance. teenagers who repudiate the values of their parents spurn stresses contempt or disdain in rejection or repudiation. spurned his overtures of friendship

Examples of refuse in a Sentence

Verb

When they offered me the money, I couldn't refuse. They asked her to help but she refused.

Noun

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Many in the art world have refused to acknowledge Meow Wolf as makers of fine art. — Whitney Robinson, ELLE Decor, "The Greatest Museum Show is Not in a Museum," 6 May 2019 But the NY AG office said in November 2017 that FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's office had refused to provide information needed for the investigation. — Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, "Report: FBI opens criminal investigation into net neutrality comment fraud," 10 Dec. 2018 The lead character, played by Roy Scheider, suffers a heart attack during rehearsals for a Broadway show (inspired by Fosse's own experience on Chicago) and refuses to quit smoking or drugs despite his doctors' orders. — Emma Dibdin, Harper's BAZAAR, "A Complete Timeline of the Real Relationship Between Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon," 9 Apr. 2019 The House, in particular, will almost certainly take a hard look at the F-15EX controversy and may even refuse to fund it--much to the Air Force’s relief. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The Pentagon’s 2020 Budget Asks for Nearly 380 Aircraft, But One Buy Is Raising Eyebrows," 13 Mar. 2019 Claire's has refused to comply with the FDA's request, and the agency does not have authority to mandate a recall. — Blake Bakkila, Good Housekeeping, "UPDATE: FDA Claims Three Claire's Products Have Tested Positive for Asbestos," 6 Mar. 2019 Sony, which had previously found itself in hot water for refusing to allow cross-play between competing consoles, caved in unprecedented fashion and began allowing PS4 accounts to play Fortnite on other systems. — Andrew Webster, The Verge, "The year in Fortnite," 18 Dec. 2018 For the last eight years, Google has refused to cooperate with these efforts. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Google employees demand that Google stop work on censored Chinese search," 27 Nov. 2018 The doctor refused to answer his questions or talk to law enforcement, Mr. Pourier said. — Gabe Johnson, WSJ, "A Pedophile Doctor Drew Suspicions for 21 Years. No One Stopped Him.," 8 Feb. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Increased recycling and composting means more refuse gets diverted elsewhere. — David Gutman, The Seattle Times, "King County’s landfill has been almost full for two decades. What happens next?," 26 Mar. 2019 Piles of trash, plastic bottles and other unidentifiable refuse can be seen rippling and crashing ashore in video and images posted on social media. — Christopher Carbone, Fox News, "Waves of garbage crash ashore in stunning footage," 15 Aug. 2018 Litter — cans and bottles, bags and food containers, dirty diapers and all manner of refuse — long has been a problem at boat ramps. — Shannon Tompkins, Houston Chronicle, "Boat ramps a gateway to fun or frustration," 28 June 2018 The Town of Enfield Public Works Department offers residents the option of scheduling a bulky waste collection for items too large for regular weekly refuse collection (exceeding 60 pounds in weight or greater than 5 feet across). — Courant Community, "Community News For The Enfield Edition," 19 June 2018 At the end of your stay, double bag refuse and take it to the town dump, which is an easy 20-mile ride from the house on a former logging road. — Joyce Wadler, New York Times, "Have a Relaxed Airbnb Visit — but Not Too Relaxed," 7 June 2018 Residents can put up to 60 pounds of refuse in the container, according to the ordinance. — David Anderson, The Aegis, "Aberdeen council adopts new trash pickup ordinance," 12 July 2018 This Is My Land) lives a solitary life in the Scottish wilderness, scavenging for food and constructing items from industrial refuse. — Patrick Friel, Chicago Reader, "Chicagoans / Comedy / Film / LGBTQ+ / Music / On Video Chicago Underground Film Festival at 25: A look back," 4 June 2018 Incessant action necessitates clean baseball, something the A's refuse to play. — Chandler Rome, Houston Chronicle, "Astros use late offensive push to knock off Athletics," 29 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'refuse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for refuse

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French refuser, from Vulgar Latin *refusare, perhaps blend of Latin refutare to refute and recusare to demur — more at recuse

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from refuser

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