refuse

See also refusé, and re-fuse

English

Etymology 1

Apparently from Old French refuse (French refusé), past participle of refuser (“to refuse”), as Etymology 2, below.

Pronunciation

• enPR: rĕ'fyo͞os, IPA: /ˈɹɛfjuːs/, X-SAMPA: /"rEfju:s/
• Rhymes: -uːz

Adjective

refuse (comparative more refuse, superlative most refuse)

1. Discarded, rejected.

Noun

refuse (uncountable)

1. Collectively, items or material that have been discarded; rubbish, garbage.

Synonyms

• discards
• garbage (US)
• rubbish
• trash (US)
• See also Wikisaurus:trash

Translations

items or material that have been discarded

• Catalan: rebuig (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 垃圾 (cmn) (lājī, lèsè)

• Czech: odpad (cs) m
• Finnish: jäte (fi)
• French: ordures (fr) f pl, déchets (fr) m pl
• Galician: lixo (gl) m

• German: Abfall (de) m, Müll (de) m
• Italian: rifiuti (it) m plural
• Japanese: ごみ (ja) (gomi)
• Korean: 쓰레기 (ko) (sseuregi)
• Polish: odrzuty (pl) pl
• Russian: отбросы (ru) (otbrósy) m pl, отходы (ru) (otxódy) m pl, мусор (ru) (músor) m
• Spanish: basura (es) f
• Swahili: kanusho (sw), dinda (sw)

Etymology 2

From Old French refuser, from Vulgar Latin *refusare, a blend of Classical Latin refutō and recusō.

Pronunciation

• enPR: rĭfyo͞oz', IPA: /ɹɪˈfjuːz/, X-SAMPA: /rI"fju:z/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Verb

refuse (third-person singular simple present refuses, present participle refusing, simple past and past participle refused)

1. (transitive) To decline (a request or demand).

   My request for a pay rise was refused.

   I refuse to listen to this nonsense any more.

   • 2011 September 27, Alistair Magowan, “Bayern Munich 2 - 0 Man City”, BBC Sport:

     City were outclassed thereafter and Roberto Mancini said that substitute Carlos Tevez refused to play.

2. (intransitive) To decline a request or demand, forbear; to withhold permission.

   I asked the star if I could have her autograph, but she refused.

3. (military) To throw back, or cause to keep back (as the centre, a wing, or a flank), out of the regular alignment when troops are about to engage the enemy.

   to refuse the right wing while the left wing attacks

4. (obsolete, transitive) To disown.
   • Shakespeare

     Refuse thy name.

Usage notes

• This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Synonyms

• (decline): decline, reject, nill, say no to, turn down, veto, withsake
• (decline a request or demand): say no, forbear

Translations

(transitive) decline (request, demand)

• Arabic: رفض (ar) (ráfaDa)
• Basque: uko egin (eu), baztertu (eu)
• Catalan: refusar (ca), rebutjar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 拒絕 (cmn), 拒绝 (cmn) (jùjué), 回絕 (cmn), 回绝 (cmn) (huíjué)

• Czech: odmítnout (cs)
• Dutch: weigeren (nl)
• Finnish: kieltää (fi)
• French: refuser (fr)
• Galician: recusar (ca)
• German: sich weigern (de), verweigern (de), ablehnen (de)
• Haitian Creole: refize
• Hungarian: visszautasít (hu), megtagad (hu)
• Italian: rifiutare (it)
• Japanese: 断る (ja) (ことわる, kotowaru), 拒む (ja) (こばむ, kobamu), 否む (ja) (いなむ, inamu)

• Jèrriais: r'fuser
• Korean: 거절하다 (ko) (geojeol-hada)
• Latin: abnegō (la), recūsō (la)
• Polish: odrzucać (pl)
• Portuguese: recusar (pt)
• Russian: отказывать (ru) (otkázyvat’) impf., отказать (ru) (otkazát’) pf., отклонять (ru) (otklonját’) impf., отклонить (ru) (otklonít’) pf.
• Scottish Gaelic: diùlt (gd)
• Spanish: rehusar (es)
• Swahili: gairi (sw), dinda (sw), kanusha (sw)
• Swedish: vägra (sv)
• Telugu: నిరాకరించు (te) (niraakarinchu)
• Vietnamese: từ chối (vi)

(intransitive) decline a request or demand

• Arabic: رفض (ar) (ráfaDa)
• Catalan: refusar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 拒絕 (cmn), 拒绝 (cmn) (jùjué)

• Esperanto: rifuzi (eo)
• French: refuser (fr)
• Galician: refusar (gl)
• German: sich weigern (de)
• Haitian Creole: refize
• Japanese: 断る (ja) (ことわる, kotowaru)

• Jèrriais: r'fuser
• Polish: odmówić (pl)
• Russian: отказываться (ru) (otkázyvat’sja) impf., отказаться (ru) (otkazát’sja) pf.
• Scottish Gaelic: diùlt (gd)
• Swahili: gairi (sw), dinda (sw), kanusha (sw)
• Swedish: vägra (sv)
• Telugu: నిరాకరించు (te) (niraakarinchu)

Noun

refuse

1. (obsolete) refusal

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Fairfax to this entry?)

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French

Verb

refuse

1. first-person singular present indicative of refuser
2. third-person singular present indicative of refuser
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of refuser
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of refuser
5. second-person singular imperative of refuser

Anagrams

• férues