English Meaning & Definitions
To indicate or show that one is not willing to do, give, or allow something.
- “She refused to answer any questions regarding the incident.”
- “The bank refused his application for a small business loan.”
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “refused”.
Derived from the Middle English 'refusen', which comes from the Old French 'refuser'. This is likely from the Vulgar Latin 'refusare', a frequentative form of 'refundere' (to pour back, give back), suggesting the act of pushing something back or away from oneself.
Re- (back) + fuse (to melt/join): Imagine trying to join two things together, but one side 'refuses' to fuse, so it stays back.
Frequently Asked Questions About “refused”
1. What is the meaning of “refused” in English?
In English, refused (verb) is defined as: “To indicate or show that one is not willing to do, give, or allow something.”.
2. How do you use “refused” in a sentence?
“She refused to answer any questions regarding the incident.”
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “refused”?
Derived from the Middle English 'refusen', which comes from the Old French 'refuser'. This is likely from the Vulgar Latin 'refusare', a frequentative form of 'refundere' (to pour back, give back), suggesting the act of pushing something back or away from oneself.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.