REFUSE Synonyms: 225 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

refuse 1 of 3

verb

ri-ˈfyüz

Definition of refuse next

as in to deny

to be unwilling to grant the reclusive movie star usually refuses requests for interviews

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

refuse

3 of 3

adjective

as in discarded

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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

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

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

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

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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of refuse

Verb

The walk was undone by the reversal of the pitch call, but Shelton thought the challenge was issued too late and shouldn’t have been allowed (elsewhere an umpire decided the Braves’ Matt Olson was actually guilty of a too-slow head tap and refused to send a strike against him to review). —

Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026 Under a change to Florida law last year, refusing a law enforcement officer’s request to take a breath, blood or urine test became a misdemeanor, even for a first offense. —

Mike Schneider, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026

Noun

Cebu City generates about just over a million pounds garbage per day, The New York Times reported, adding that its officials have been in talks with nearby cities and provinces to dispose of the refuse. —

David Chiu, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026 The state also has an above average number of polluted waterways and more coal ash ponds — small, toxic water bodies near coal plants where poisonous refuse is discarded — than any other state. —

Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 6 Jan. 2026

Adjective

Officials with the city’s Bureau of Sanitation said the existing trash fees have not been generating enough money to cover the true cost of refuse collection. —

David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2025 Cement mixers, roll-off and dump trucks, which all share a common architecture, will be built first, followed by refuse trucks and terminal tractors. —

Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 7 Dec. 2023 See All Example Sentences for refuse

Recent Examples of Synonyms for refuse

Verb

Sorokin was locked in from the drop of the puck, denying Colin Blackwell on a shorthanded breakaway 10 minutes in and making a handful of other 10-bell saves on quality scoring chances in the first period alone.

— CBS News, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Omar, 38, eventually married Hirsi legally in a 2018 ceremony before the two divorced after it was alleged that Omar was having an affair with her chief fundraiser Tim Mynett, who denied the claim.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 27 Mar. 2026

Definition of deny

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“Refuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refuse. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.

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