Meaning

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

    My request for a pay rise was refused.

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

    I refuse to listen to this nonsense any more.

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

    sich weigern, sich weigern, verweigern

    отка́зыватьсяotkázyvatʹsja, отказа́тьсяotkazátʹsja, отка́зыватьotkázyvatʹ

    відмовля́тисяvidmovljátysja, відмовля́тиvidmovljáty

  3. (ditransitive)To withhold (something) from (someone); to not give it to them or to bar them from having it.

  4. 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

  5. To fuse again, as with, or after, heating or melting.

  6. (obsolete, transitive)To disown.

More definitions
  • show unwillingness towards
  • not accept as true
  • refuse to let have
  • elude, especially in a baffling way

Examples

2226 sentences
  1. I refuse to answer the question.

    Я відмовляюся відповідати на це запитання.

    ruЯ отказываюсь отвечать на этот вопрос.

    deIch weigere mich, die Frage zu beantworten.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem
  2. She refused to accept the money.

    Вона відмовлялася від грошей.

    ruОна отказалась принять деньги.

    deSie weigerte sich, das Geld anzunehmen.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem
  3. She refused to accept the post.

    Вона відмовилася від посади.

    deSie hat die Stelle abgelehnt.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem
  4. Unfortunately, Tom refused to help us.

    На жаль, Том відмовився нам допомогти.

    ruК сожалению, Том отказался нам помочь.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem
  5. My children refuse to eat fish.

    Мої діти відмовляються їсти рибу.

    ruМои дети отказываются есть рыбу.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · B1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Translations

9 languages
Українська
By meaning 2
(intransitive) decline a request or demand:
(transitive) decline (request, demand):
Русский
By meaning 2
(intransitive) decline a request or demand:
(transitive) decline (request, demand):
Deutsch
By meaning 2
(intransitive) decline a request or demand:
(transitive) decline (request, demand):

Origin

From Middle English refusen, from Old French refuser, from Vulgar Latin *refūsāre, a blend

From Middle English refusen, from Old French refuser, from Vulgar Latin *refūsāre, a blend of Classical Latin refūtāre (whence also refute) and recūsāre (whence also recuse).

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

refuses, refusing, refused, refused
Base formrefuse · to refuse
3rd person singularrefuses
Present participlerefusing
Past simplerefused
Past participlerefused

regular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theyrefuse
he, she, itrefuses

Past simpleLesson

all personsrefused

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave refused
he, she, ithas refused

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill refuse

Synonyms

16 synonyms
decline a request or demand:say noforbear
Close in meaning

Antonyms

1 antonyms

Word family

11 related words

Collocations

12 patterns
  • refuse to do
  • refused to help
  • refused to answer
  • refused to tell
  • refused to give
  • will refuse to
  • refused to accept
  • refused to go
  • refused to let
  • should've refused to
  • would refuse to
  • refused to pay

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
refuse — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto