refuse
refuse — verb
1. to make it known, by words or actions, that you are unwilling to do, accept, or
to make it known, by words or actions, that you are unwilling to do, accept, or allow something.
Ravindra refused to sign the contract until his lawyer had reviewed every clause.
refuse + to-infinitive for unwillingness to act
The bank refused their request for a larger loan.
refuse + noun phrase (request) for denying permission
When offered a seat on the board, Sari politely refused because of her other commitments.
intransitive use — refusing an offer
The nightclub refused entry to a group of men who were not wearing proper shoes.
refuse + noun phrase + to + person for denying entry
My old car refused to start on the morning of the road trip.
inanimate subject — machine refuses to function
- refuse point-blank
- refuse flatly
- refuse politely
- refuse categorically
- refuse entry
- refuse permission
- refuse an offer
- refuse a request
- decline
more polite and gentle; often used for invitations or offers (decline an invitation sounds softer than refuse an invitation)
- reject
stronger and more final; often implies dismissing something as unsuitable (reject a proposal suggests a firm dismissal)
- turn down
informal equivalent; common in everyday speech (turn down a job offer)
Grammar Patterns
refuse + to-infinitive
refuse + noun phrase
refuse (intransitive)
refuse + noun phrase + to + person
Usage Note
Frequently used with a to-infinitive (refuse to do something) or a direct object (refuse an offer). Inanimate subjects are also common for describing machines that fail to function (The engine refused to turn over). For denying permission to a person, the pattern is refuse + noun phrase + to + person (refuse entry to a guest).
Common Mistakes
refuse — noun
1. unwanted materials or objects that people throw away, especially from homes, fac
unwanted materials or objects that people throw away, especially from homes, factories, or other buildings — for instance, leftover food, broken furniture, or packaging that has been discarded.
The city council introduced new rules for collecting household refuse every Tuesday morning.
household refuse — waste from homes
The factory was fined for dumping industrial refuse into the nearby river.
industrial refuse — waste from factories
Each morning the cook carried the kitchen refuse out to the large dumpster behind the hotel.
kitchen refuse — food waste collocation
Local residents complained when the council failed to collect the household refuse for three weeks.
- household refuse
- industrial refuse
- kitchen refuse
- refuse collection
- refuse disposal
- refuse truck
- refuse dump
Usage Note
More formal than everyday words like rubbish (UK) or trash/garbage (US). Commonly found in official contexts such as government documents, environmental reports, and waste-management announcements. Cannot be used in the plural; use 'refuse' as an uncountable noun.
Common Mistakes
refuse — adjective
1. describing things that have been thrown away because they are no longer wanted o
describing things that have been thrown away because they are no longer wanted or useful.
Workers sorted the refuse materials into metal, plastic, and wood for recycling.
refuse materials — sorting for recycling
The refuse heap behind the factory grew larger each week.
refuse heap — natural attributive collocation with refuse
The recycling centre separates refuse metals from other waste materials using large magnets.
refuse metals — separated by magnets in recycling
Refuse wood from the demolition site was ground into wood chips for garden paths.
- refuse materials
- refuse parts
- refuse items
- refuse matter
Usage Note
Used only before a noun (attributive position). Rare in everyday conversation; appears more often in written or technical descriptions of waste management, recycling, or artistic reuse. Do not use in the comparative form (no 'more refuse').