Refuse Definition

rĭ-fyo͝oz

refused, refuses, refusing

verb

refused, refuses, refusing

To decline to accept; reject.

Webster's New World

To decline to do, give, or grant.

Webster's New World

To indicate unwillingness (to do something).

Refused to leave.

American Heritage

To decline to accept, agree to, or do something.

Webster's New World

To decline to jump (an obstacle). Used of a horse.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

noun

refuses

Anything thrown away or rejected as worthless or useless; waste; trash; rubbish.

Webster's New World

(obsolete) Refusal.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

adjective

Thrown away or rejected as worthless or useless.

Webster's New World

Wiktionary

Origin of Refuse

Middle English refusen from Old French refuser from Vulgar Latin refūsāre probably blend of Latin recūsāre to refuse recuse and Latin refūtāre refute refute

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Middle English from Old French refus rejection, refuse from refuser to refuse refuse¹

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Apparently from Old French refuse (French refusé), past participle of refuser (“to refuse"), as Etymology 2, below.

From Wiktionary
From Old French refuser, from Vulgar Latin *refusare, a blend of Classical Latin refutō and recusō.

From Wiktionary