rifiutare

Italian

Etymology

From Latin refūtāre, present active infinitive form of refūtō (“I oppose”, “I refute”). The -i- was an influence by fiutare (“to sniff”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ri.fjuˈta.re/, [r̺ifjuˈt̪äːr̺e̞]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ri‧fiu‧tà‧re

Verb

rifiutare

1. (transitive) to be unwilling to accept or receive; to refuse, decline, reject
   • 1472, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Purgatorio [The Divine Comedy: Purgatory] (paperback), Bompiani, published 2001, Canto VI, page 93, lines 133–135:

     Molti rifiutan lo comune incarco; ¶ ma il popol tuo solicito risponde ¶ sanza chiamare, e grida: «I' mi sobbarco!».

     Many refuse to bear the common burden; ¶ but thy solicitous people answereth ¶ without being asked, and crieth: "I submit."

   Synonyms: declinare, respingere, ricusare, rinunciare

   Antonyms: accettare, accogliere

2. (transitive) to be unwilling to give or concede; to deny

   Ci sono favori che ad un amico non si possono rifiutare. ― There are favors you just can't deny a friend. (literally, “There are favors that, to a friend, one can't deny.”)

   Synonym: negare

   Antonyms: accordare, concedere, dare

3. (transitive, followed by di) to be unwilling to do (something); to refuse

   Mia sorella rifiuta di parlarmi. ― My sister refuses to talk to me.

4. (archaic, rare, transitive) to give up (something), to refuse
   • 1472, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Purgatorio [The Divine Comedy: Purgatory] (paperback), Bompiani, published 2001, Canto I, page 93, lines 70–72:

     Or ti piaccia gradir la sua venuta: ¶ libertà va cercando, ch'è sì cara, ¶ come sa chi per lei vita rifiuta.

     Now may it please thee to vouchsafe his coming: ¶ he seeketh Liberty, which is so dear, ¶ as knoweth he who life for her refuses.

5. (archaic, rare, transitive) to disown

   Il Leopardi rifiutò molte sue poesie giovanili. ― Leopardi disowned many of the poems of his youth.

   Synonyms: disconoscere, rinnegare, ripudiare

   Antonym: riconoscere

Derived terms

• rifiutabile
• rifiutarsi
• rifiuto

Anagrams

• rifiuterà