Thesaurus

refuse

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of refuse

discarded or useless material

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

Synonyms of refuse

chaff, deadwood, debris, dreck (also drek), dross, dust, effluvium (also effluvia), garbage, junk, litter, offal, offscouring, raffle, riffraff, rubbish, scrap, spilth, trash, truck, waste

Words Related to refuse

crud, sewage, slop, swill, wash

detritus, remains, rubble, ruins

dump, scrap heap

lumber, odds and ends, trumpery

flotsam, jetsam, wreckage

castoff, cull, discard, hand-me-down, reject, throwaway

nothing, straw, two bits

Near Antonyms of refuse

catch, gem, goody (or goodie), jewel, pearl, plum, prize, treasure, treasure trove, trove, valuable

booty, find, salvage

refuse

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of refuse

1 to be unwilling to grant

the reclusive movie star usually refuses requests for interviews

Synonyms of refuse

decline, deny, disallow, disapprove, negative, nix, reject, reprobate, withhold

Words Related to refuse

ban, enjoin, forbid, prohibit, proscribe, veto

rebuff, repel, spurn

check, constrain, curb, hold, keep, repress, restrain, restrict

balk (at), hinder, impede, obstruct

Near Antonyms of refuse

afford, furnish, give, provide, supply

authorize, commission, license (also licence)

accede (to), acquiesce, agree (to), assent (to), consent (to), warrant

accord, sanction, vouchsafe

Antonyms of refuse

allow, concede, grant, let, OK (or okay), permit

2 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 of refuse

balk (at), decline, deselect, disapprove, negative, nix, pass, pass up, reject, reprobate, repudiate, spurn, throw out, throw over, turn down

Words Related to refuse

blow off, disdain, rebuff, scorn, scout, shoot down

forbid, prohibit, proscribe

dismiss, ignore

abstain (from), forbear, refrain (from)

deny, disavow, disclaim, dispute, gainsay

abjure, forswear (also foreswear), recant, renounce, retract, take back, unsay, withdraw

avoid, bypass, detour

contradict, deny, disown, negate

controvert, disagree (with), disprove, dispute, rebut, refute

back down, back off, backtrack

disallow, recall, renege, revoke

Phrases Synonymous with refuse

turn one's back on

Near Antonyms of refuse

condone, countenance, swallow, tolerate

adopt, embrace, receive, take, welcome

accede, acquiesce, agree, assent, consent

choose, handpick, select

espouse, support

Antonyms of refuse

accept, agree (to), approve

Synonym Discussion of 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

Learn More about refuse

See words that rhyme with refuse Dictionary: Definition of refuse Spanish Central: Translation of refuse Nglish: Translation of refuse for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of refuse for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about refuse

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WORD OF THE DAY

coin of the realm

something valued as if it were money