refuse
Discarded, rejected.
Adjective 1 meaning
Discarded, rejected.
Noun 1 meaning
Collectively, items or material that have been discarded; rubbish, garbage.
Verb 4 meanings
To decline (a request or demand).
“My request for a pay rise was refused.”
To decline a request or demand, forbear; to withhold permission.
“I refuse to listen to this nonsense any more.”
To withhold (something) from (someone); to not give it to them or to bar them from having it.
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”
Etymology
Borrowed into late Middle English from Middle French refusé, past participle of refuser (“to refuse”). Displaced native Middle English wernen (“to refuse”) likely due to the similar sounding Middle English warnen
Similar and opposite words
REFUSE at a glance
REFUSE has 6 letters and scores 9 points in Scrabble (R 1 + E 1 + F 4 + U 1 + S 1 + E 1) and 10 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #3,647 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with refuse
All rhymesOne letter away
- REFUGE10
- REFUTE9
- DEFUSE10
- RECUSE8
- RETUSE6
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