Meaning & Definition of Refuse in English
English⟶
Refuse
/rəfjuz/
noun
1. Food that is discarded (as from a kitchen)
synonym:
- garbage,
- refuse,
- food waste,
- scraps
verb
1. Show unwillingness towards
- "He declined to join the group on a hike"
synonym:
- refuse,
- decline
2. Refuse to accept
- "He refused my offer of hospitality"
synonym:
- refuse,
- reject,
- pass up,
- turn down,
- decline
3. Elude, especially in a baffling way
- "This behavior defies explanation"
synonym:
- defy,
- resist,
- refuse
4. Refuse to let have
- "She denies me every pleasure"
- "He denies her her weekly allowance"
synonym:
- deny,
- refuse
5. Resist immunologically the introduction of some foreign tissue or organ
- "His body rejected the liver of the donor"
synonym:
- resist,
- reject,
- refuse
6. Refuse entrance or membership
- "They turned away hundreds of fans"
- "Black people were often rejected by country clubs"
synonym:
- reject,
- turn down,
- turn away,
- refuse
Examples of using
I refuse to reply to these charges.
I was not mistaken: the old man did not refuse the glass he was offered.
A few seconds ago I was in the open air and the bright daylight, and now my eyes refuse to serve me in this darkness.