refuse

1 of 4

verb

re·​fuse ri-ˈfyüz 

refused; refusing

transitive verb

1

: to express oneself as unwilling to accept

refuse a gift

refuse a promotion

2

a

: 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

refuser noun

refuse

2 of 4

noun (1)

ref·​use ˈre-ˌfyüs 

-ˌfyüz

1

: the worthless or useless part of something : leavings

2

: trash, garbage

refuse

3 of 4

adjective

ref·​use ˈre-ˌfyüs 

-ˌfyüz

: thrown aside or left as worthless

refuser

4 of 4

noun (2)

re·​fus·​er

rə̇ˈfyüzə(r), 

rēˈf-

plural -s

1

: one that refuses

that horse has become a chronic refuser

2

: recusant

Synonyms of refuse

Verb

• deny
• reject
• decline

Noun (1)

• garbage
• debris
• trash
• rubbish
• dust
• junk
• truck
• litter
• sewage

Choose the Right Synonym for refuse

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 (1)

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

It is lit with joy, with purpose, with a fierce kind of love that refuses to dim. —Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026

The other person who was injured refused to be transported to the hospital. —Manuel Bojorquez, CBS News, 15 June 2026

Noun

By using air, water, and microbiology, the system turns food waste to environmentally safe liquid; then funneling refuse into Manhattan sewage, reducing heaps of landfill waste from production. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 June 2026

Slightly over a mile from the market, perched on the banks of Korle Lagoon, is Old Fadama, an informal settlement where tens of thousands of people live on top of decades of refuse. —Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 8 June 2026

Adjective

The refuse pile consisted of coal waste, carbonaceous shale, and coal ash. —Logan Smith, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026

Most of these refuse collectors are working 12-hour shifts doing a job no one else wants to do. —Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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 (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from refuser

Noun (2)

Middle English, from refusen to refuse + -er

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing refuse

• too good to refuse

Rhymes for refuse

• accrues
• accuse
• aircrews
• amuse
• bamboos
• breakthroughs
• canoes
• cashews
• chartreuse
• confuse
• construes
• defuse

Kids Definition

refuse

1 of 2 verb

re·​fuse ri-ˈfyüz 

refused; refusing

1

: to say one will not accept : reject

refused the money

2

a

: to show or express positive unwillingness

refused to act

b

: to say one will not grant : deny

was refused entrance

3

: to withhold the accepting, following, or permitting of something

refuser noun

refuse

2 of 2 noun

ref·​use ˈref-ˌyüs 

-ˌyüz

: worthless things : trash