Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

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

overrule, veto

forbid, prohibit, proscribe

dismiss, ignore

abstain (from), forbear, refrain (from)

deny, disavow, disclaim, dispute, gainsay

stick

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

  1. 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

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up refuse? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games