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Refuser

   Also found in: Legal, Idioms, Encyclopedia 0.02 sec.
re·fuse 1  (r-fyz)
v. re·fused, re·fus·ing, re·fus·es
v.tr.
1.
a. To indicate unwillingness to do, accept, give, or allow: She was refused admittance. He refused treatment.
b. To indicate unwillingness (to do something): refused to leave.
2. To decline to jump (an obstacle). Used of a horse.
v.intr.
To decline to do, accept, give, or allow something.

[Middle English refusen, from Old French refuser, from Vulgar Latin *refsre, probably blend of Latin recsre, to refuse; see recuse and Latin reftre, refute; see refute.]

re·fuser n.
Synonyms: refuse1, decline, reject, spurn, rebuff
These verbs all mean to be unwilling to accept, consider, or receive someone or something. Refuse usually implies determination and often brusqueness: "The commander . . . refused to discuss questions of right" (George Bancroft). "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse" (Mario Puzo).
To decline is to refuse courteously: "I declined election to the National Institute of Arts and Letters . . . and now I must decline the Pulitzer Prize" (Sinclair Lewis).
Reject suggests the discarding of someone or something as defective or useless; it implies categoric refusal: "He again offered himself for enlistment and was again rejected" (Arthur S.M. Hutchinson).
To spurn is to reject scornfully or contemptuously: "The more she spurns my love,/The more it grows" ( Shakespeare).
Rebuff pertains to blunt, often disdainful rejection: "He had . . . gone too far in his advances, and had been rebuffed" (Robert Louis Stevenson).

ref·use 2  (rfys)
n.
Items or material discarded or rejected as useless or worthless; trash or rubbish.

[Middle English, from Old French refus, rejection, refuse, from refuser, to refuse; see refuse1.]


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