refuse

To refuse is to decline, deny, reject, or resist. If a stranger offers you candy, you should politely refuse.

As a noun, refuse (pronounced REF-yooss) is food waste, scraps, or garbage. As a verb, refuse (pronounced ree-FYOOZ) means to reject. If you’re mad at me, you’ll probably refuse my invitation to hang out. If your fashion sense isn't up to date, the bouncer at an exclusive nightclub might refuse entry to you. If you’re sick and you need a kidney transplant, your doctor will give you drugs to stop your body from refusing the donor kidney.

Definitions of refuse
  1. verb
    show unwillingness towards
    synonyms: balk, decline
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    Antonyms:
    accept, consent, go for
    give an affirmative reply to; respond favorably to
    types:
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    disdain, freeze off, pooh-pooh, reject, scorn, spurn, turn down
    reject with contempt
    contract out
    refuse to pay a levy to a union for political use
    regret
    decline formally or politely
    repudiate
    refuse to recognize or pay
    disobey
    refuse to go along with; refuse to follow; be disobedient
    rebuff, repel, snub
    reject outright and bluntly
    sit in
    participate in an act of civil disobedience
    counteract, countermine, sabotage, subvert, undermine, weaken
    destroy property or hinder normal operations
    balk, baulk, jib, resist
    refuse to comply
    type of:
    react, respond
    show a response or a reaction to something
  2. verb
    refuse to accept
    “He refused my offer of hospitality”
    synonyms: decline, pass up, reject, turn down
    disdain, freeze off, pooh-pooh, reject, scorn, spurn, turn down
    reject with contempt
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    Antonyms:
    accept, have, take
    receive willingly something given or offered
    have, receive
    get something; come into possession of
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    types:
    dishonor, dishonour
    refuse to accept
    bounce
    refuse to accept and send back
  3. verb
    refuse entrance or membership
    synonyms: reject, turn away, turn down
    disdain, freeze off, pooh-pooh, reject, scorn, spurn, turn down
    reject with contempt
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    Antonyms:
    admit, allow in, intromit, let in
    allow to enter; grant entry to
    admit
    serve as a means of entrance
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  4. verb
    refuse to let have
    synonyms: deny
    abnegate, deny
    deny oneself (something); restrain, especially from indulging in some pleasure
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    Antonyms:
    allow, grant
    let have
    allow, countenance, let, permit
    consent to, give permission
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    types:
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    keep back, withhold
    hold back; refuse to hand over or share
    block, freeze, immobilise, immobilize
    prohibit the conversion or use of (assets)
    keep to oneself
    withhold information
    deny
    refuse to grant, as of a petition or request
    reserve
    hold back or set aside, especially for future use or contingency
    immobilise, immobilize
    hold as reserve or withdraw from circulation; of capital
    deprive
    keep from having, keeping, or obtaining
    type of:
    hold on, keep
    retain possession of
  5. noun
    worthless material that is to be disposed of
    synonyms: garbage, rubbish, scrap, trash
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    types:
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    scrap metal
    discarded metal suitable for reprocessing
    debris, detritus, dust, junk, rubble
    the remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up
    litter
    rubbish carelessly dropped or left about (especially in public places)
    slack
    dust consisting of a mixture of small coal fragments and coal dust and dirt that sifts out when coal is passed over a sieve
    scrap iron
    iron to be melted again and reworked
    type of:
    waste, waste material, waste matter, waste product
    any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted
  6. noun
    food that is discarded (as from a kitchen)
    synonyms: food waste, garbage, scraps
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    type of:
    waste, waste material, waste matter, waste product
    any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted
  7. verb
    elude, especially in a baffling way
    synonyms: defy, resist
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    Antonyms:
    apply, lend oneself
    be applicable to; as to an analysis
    apply, go for, hold
    be pertinent or relevant or applicable
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    types:
    beggar
    be beyond the resources of
    type of:
    elude, escape
    be incomprehensible to; escape understanding by
  8. verb
    resist immunologically the introduction of some foreign tissue or organ
    synonyms: reject, resist
    see moresee less
    type of:
    react, respond
    show a response or a reaction to something
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