refuse

B1 Topic:Environment & Ecology

Also spelled refoosin

US /ˈɹɛfjuːs/ See IPA manual

verb noun Freq #2290

Meanings

1

verb
To say firmly that you will not do something.

I refuse to listen to this nonsense any more.
2

verb
To say no to something that is offered or requested.

My request for a pay rise was refused.
3

noun
Waste material that is thrown away; rubbish.

The refuse is collected from the street every Tuesday.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to say firmly that you will... decline

2 verb · to say no to something that... decline rejectturn downveto

3 noun · waste material that is... garbage

Word family

Forms refusedrefusesrefusing

Derived forms refusablerefusednikrefusinglyunrefusedunrefusing

Related forms refusal refutal refute

Common collocations

Etymology

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).

refusen Middle English refuser Old French *refūsāre la-vul refutō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Environment & Ecology

# refuse

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** ˈɹɛfjuːs
**Frequency rank:** 2290

## Meanings
1. To say firmly that you will not do something.
2. To say no to something that is offered or requested.
3. Waste material that is thrown away; rubbish.

## Examples
- I refuse to listen to this nonsense any more.
- My request for a pay rise was refused.
- The refuse is collected from the street every Tuesday.

## Derived Forms
- refusable
- refusednik
- refusingly
- unrefused
- unrefusing

## Related Forms
- refusal
- refutal
- refute

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: refusen
- Root: refuser
- Root: *refūsāre
- Root: refutō

## Etymology
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).

## AI Etymology
Refuse comes 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). Modern senses include to say firmly that you will not do something. and to say no to something that is offered or requested.. The wider word family includes derivatives such as refusable, refusednik, refusingly, unrefused, and unrefusing and related forms such as refusal, refutal, and refute.

## Topics
- Environment & Ecology

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refuse

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