Refuse

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: ref=use

CIDE DICTIONARY

Refuse, v. t. [F. refuser, either from (assumed) LL. refusare to refuse, v. freq. of L. refundere to pour back, give back, restore (see Refund to repay), or. fr. L. recusare to decline, refuse cf. Accuse, Ruse), influenced by L. refutare to drive back, repel, refute. Cf. Refute.].

•  To deny, as a request, demand, invitation, or command; to decline to do or grant.  [1913 Webster]

  "That never yet refused your hest."  [1913 Webster]
•  To throw back, or cause to keep back (as the center, a wing, or a flank), out of the regular aligment when troops aras, to refuse the right wing while the left wing attacks.  [1913 Webster]
•  To decline to accept; to reject; to deny the request or petition of; as, to refuse a suitor.  [1913 Webster]

  "The cunning workman never doth refuse
  The meanest tool that he may chance to use."  [1913 Webster]
•  To disown.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

Refuse, v. i. 

 To deny compliance; not to comply.  [1913 Webster]
"Too proud to ask, too humble to refuse."  [1913 Webster]
"If ye refuse . . . ye shall be devoured with the sword."  [1913 Webster]

Refuse, n. 

 Refusal.  Fairfax.  [1913 Webster]

Refuse, n. [F. refus refusal, also, that which is refused. See Refuse to deny.].

 That which is refused or rejected as useless; waste or worthless matter.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Dregs; sediment; scum; recrement; dross.

Refuse, a. 

 Refused; rejected; hence; left as unworthy of acceptance; of no value; worthless.  [1913 Webster]
"Everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Refuse, v.
1 tr. withhold acceptance of or consent to (refuse an offer; refuse orders).
2 tr. (often foll. by to + infin.) indicate unwillingness (I refuse to go; the car refuses to start; I refuse!).
3 tr. (often with double object) not grant (a request) made by (a person) (refused me a day off; I could not refuse them).
4 tr. (also absol.) (of a horse) be unwilling to jump (a fence etc.).

Derivative

refusable adj. refuser n.

Refuse, n. items rejected as worthless; waste.

Etymology

ME, perh. f. OF refus{eacute} past part. (as REFUSE)

THESAURUS

Refuse

abjure, afterglow, afterimage, balance, ban, bar, be unmoved, be unwilling, beat back, beg off, bilge, bilgewater, bones, brush aside, brush off, butt, butt end, candle ends, carrion, castaway, castoff, chaff, chase, chase away, chase off, chuck, chuck out, collateral, contemn, contradict, culm, cut, deadwood, debar, debris, decline, decline to accept, deep six, deny, deprive of, derelict, despise, detritus, dirt, disagree, disallow, disapprove, discard, discarding, disclaim, discount, disdain, dishwater, dismiss, disown, disposal, disregard, dissent, ditchwater, dogie, draff, dregs, drive away, drive back, dross, dump, dumping, dust, dustheap, elimination, embargo, end, enjoin, except, exclude, exclude from, fag end, fend off, filings, flotsam, flotsam and jetsam, forbid, forswear, fossil, foundling, garbage, gash, hogwash, hold off, hold out against, holdover, husks, ignore, inhibit, interdict, jetsam, jettison, junk, junking, keep back, keep off, kelter, lagan, leavings, lees, leftovers, litter, lumber, muck, negate, negative, not allow, not buy, not consent, not hear of, not think of, odds and ends, offal, offscourings, orphan, orts, outlaw, pack off, parings, pass by, pass up, pelf, potsherds, preclude, prevent, prohibit, proscribe, push aside, push back, put back, rags, raspings, rebuff, recant, refuse consent, refuse to consider, reject, rejectamenta, rejection, relics, remainder, remains, remnant, removal, renounce, repel, repress, reprobate, repudiate, repulse, residue, residuum, resist entreaty, resist persuasion, rest, riffraff, roach, rubbish, ruins, rule out, rump, sawdust, say nay, say no, say no to, scourings, scout, scrap iron, scrapping, scraps, scum, scurf, send away, send off, send packing, sewage, sewerage, shadow, shards, shavings, shove away, shut out, slack, slag, slop, slops, slough, snub, spurn, stand aloof, straw, stubble, stump, suppress, survival, sweepings, swill, taboo, tares, throw away, throw out, throwaway, thrust back, trace, trash, turn away, turn back, turn down, turn out, vestige, vote nay, vote negatively, waif, waifs and strays, waive, ward off, wastage, waste, waste matter, wastepaper, wastrel, weeds, withhold

ROGET THESAURUS

Refuse

Unwillingness

VB be unwilling, nill, dislike, grudge, begrudge, not be able to find it in one's heart to, not have the stomach to, demur, stick at, scruple, stickle, hang fire, run rusty, recoil, shrink, swerve, hesitate, avoid, oppose, dissent, refuse.

Unimportance

N unimportance, insignificance, nothingness, immateriality, triviality, levity, frivolity, paltriness, poverty, smallness, vanity, matter of indifference, no object, nothing, nothing to signify, nothing worth speaking of, nothing particular, nothing to boast of, nothing to speak of, small matter, no great matter, trifling matter, mere joke, mere nothing, hardly anything, scarcely anything, nonentity, small beer, cipher, no great shakes, peu de chose, child's play, kinderspiel, toy, plaything, popgun, paper pellet, gimcrack, gewgaw, bauble, trinket, bagatelle, Rickshaw, knickknack, whim-wham, trifle, trifles light as air, yankee notions, trumpery, trash, rubbish, stuff, fatras, frippery, leather or prunello, chaff, drug, froth bubble smoke, cobweb, weed, refuse, scum, joke, jest, snap of the fingers, fudge, fiddlestick, fiddlestick end, pack of nonsense, mere farce, straw, pin, fig, button, rush, bulrush, feather, halfpenny, farthing, brass farthing, doit, peppercorn, jot, rap, pinch of snuff, old son, cent, mill, picayune, pistareen, red cent, minutiae, details, minor details, small fry, dust in the balance, feather in the scale, drop in the ocean, flea-bite, molehill, nine days' wonder, ridiculus mus, flash in the pan, much ado about nothing, unimportant, of little account, of small account, of no account, of little importance, of no importance, immaterial, unessential, nonessential, indifferent, subordinate, mediocre, passable, fair, respectable, tolerable, commonplace, uneventful, mere, common, ordinary, inconsiderable, so-so, insignificant, inappreciable, trifling, trivial, slight, slender, light, flimsy, frothy, idle, puerile, airy, shallow, weak, powerless, frivolous, petty, niggling, piddling, peddling, fribble, inane, ridiculous, farcical, finical, finikin, fiddle-faddle, fingle-fangle, namby-pamby, wishy-washy, milk and water, poor, paltry, pitiful, contemptible, sorry, mean, meager, shabby, miserable, wretched, vile, scrubby, scrannel, weedy, niggardly, scurvy, putid, beggarly, worthless, twopennyhalfpenny, cheap, trashy, catchpenny, gimcrack, trumpery, one- horse, not worth the pains, not worth while, not worth mentioning, not worth speaking of, not worth a thought, not worth a curse, not worth a straw, beneath notice, unworthy of notice, beneath regard, unworthy of regard, beneath consideration, unworthy of consideration, de lana caprina, vain, slightly, rather, somewhat, pretty well, tolerably, for aught one cares, Int, no matter!, pish!, tush!, tut!, pshaw!, pugh!, pooh, pooh-pooh!, fudge!, bosh!, humbug!, fiddlestick, fiddlestick end!, fiddlededee!, never mind!, n'importe!, what signifies it, what boots it, what of it, what of that, what matter, what's the odds, a fig for', stuff!, nonsense!, stuff and nonsense, magno conatu magnas nugas, le jeu ne vaut pas la chandelle, it matters not, it does not signify, it is of no consequence, it is of no importance, elephantus non capit murem, tempete dans un verre d'eau.

Inutility

N inutility, uselessness, inefficacy, futility, ineptitude, inaptitude, unsubservience, inadequacy, inefficiency, unskillfulness, disservice, unfruitfulness (unproductiveness), labor in vain, labor lost, labor of Sisyphus, lost trouble, lost labor, work of Penelope, sleeveless errand, wild goose chase, mere farce, tautology, supererogation, vanitas vanitatum, vanity, inanity, worthlessness, nugacity, triviality, caput mortuum, waste paper, dead letter, blunt tool, litter, rubbish, junk, lumber, odds and ends, cast-off clothes, button top, shoddy, rags, orts, trash, refuse, sweepings, scourings, offscourings, waste, rubble, debris, detritus, stubble, leavings, broken meat, dregs, weeds, tares, rubbish heap, dust hole, rudera, deads, fruges consumere natus, useless, inutile, inefficacious, futile, unavailing, bootless, inoperative, inadequate, inservient, unsubservient, inept, inefficient, of no avail, ineffectual, incompetent, stale, flat and unprofitable, superfluous, dispensable, thrown away, abortive, worthless, valueless, priceless, unsalable, not worth a straw, dear at any price, vain, empty, inane, gainless, profitless, fruitless, unserviceable, unprofitable, ill-spent, unproductive, hors de combat, effete, past work, obsolete, fit for the dust hole, good for nothing, of no earthly use, not worth having, not worth powder and shot, leading to no end, uncalled for, unnecessary, unneeded, uselessly, to little purpose, to no purpose, to little or no purpose, Int, cui bono?, what's the good!, actum ne agas, chercher une aiguille dans une botte de foin, tanto buon che val niente.

Remainder

N remainder, residue, remains, remanent, remnant, rest, relic, leavings, heeltap, odds and ends, cheesepairings, candle ends, orts, residuum, dregs, refuse, stubble, result, educt, fag-end, ruins, wreck, skeleton, stump, alluvium, surplus, overplus, excess, balance, complement, superplus, surplusage, superfluity, survival, survivance, remaining, left, left behind left over, residual, residuary, over, odd, unconsumed, sedimentary, surviving, net, exceeding, over and above, outlying, outstanding, cast off, superfluous.

Escape

N escape, scape, avolation, elopement, flight, evasion, retreat, narrow escape, hairbreadth escape, close call, come off, impunity, loophole, path, refuse, vent, vent peg, safety valve, drawbridge, fire escape, reprieve, liberation, refugee, escaping, escaped, stolen away, fled, the bird has flown the coop.

Refusal

VB refuse, reject, deny, decline, turn down, nill, negative, refuse one's assent, withhold one's assent, shake the head, close the hand, close the purse, grudge, begrudge, be slow to, hang fire, pass (at cards), be deaf to, dismiss, turn a deaf ear to, turn one's back upon, set one's face against, discountenance, not hear of, have nothing to do with, wash one's hands of, stand aloof, forswear, set aside, cast behind one, not yield an inch, resist, cross, not grant, repel, repulse, shut the door in one's face, slam the door in one's face, rebuff, send back, send to the right about, send away with a flea in the ear, deny oneself, not be at home to, discard, spurn, rescind, disclaim, protest, dissent.

Relinquishment

N relinquishment, abandonment, desertion, defection, secession, withdrawal, cave of Adullam, nolle prosequi, discontinuance, renunciation, abrogation, resignation, desuetude, cession, unpursued, relinquished, relinquishing, Int, avast!, aufgeschoben ist nicht aufgehoben, entbehre gern was du nicht hast, relinquishment, abandonment, renunciation, expropriation, dereliction, cession, surrender, dispensation, quitclaim deed, resignation, riddance, derelict, foundling, jetsam, waif, discards, culls, rejects, garbage, refuse, rubbish, relinquished, cast off, derelict, unowned, unappropriated, unculled, left, Int, away with!.

Negation

VB deny, contradict, contravene, controvert, give denial to, gainsay, negative, shake the head, disown, disaffirm, disclaim, disavow, recant, revoke, dispute, impugn, traverse, rebut, join issue upon, bring in question, call in question, give the lie in his throat, give one the lie in his throat, deny flatly, deny peremptorily, deny emphatically, deny absolutely, deny wholly, deny entirely, give the lie to, belie, repudiate, set aside, ignore, rebut, qualify, refuse, recuse.