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refusal

refusal

122 1.4
An act of saying you will not accept or agree to something
  • noun
  • /rɪˈfjuzəl/
translation icon : rechazo
  • The student's refusal to complete the assignment surprised the teacher.
  • refusal to accept
  • refusal to pay
  • refusal to negotiate

And you look at their courage, their refusal to be victims.

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Examples

  • Your refusal to talk, your impertinent stubbornness, is delaying us.

  • Her refusal to attend the meeting caused a delay in the project.

  • And yesterday I had a refusal for one of my students.

  • And then the next stage is typically refusal of the return.

  • I was to be given first refusal if you ever decided to sell.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • But it's also the refusal of an explanation.

  • And you look at their courage, their refusal to be victims.

  • There has been recently a shift away from this, you know, blanket refusal to consider nuclear power.

  • The key reason for this failure is the Palestinians' refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Vice President Du Pray's refusal to sign makes things difficult, but not impossible.

    Fiction book (1990)

Synonyms

resistance
vsrefusal
214 4.0

Refusal to accept a change or new rule

is the simple expression of not accepting without active opposition
rejection
vsrefusal
180 3.0

Not being accepted by people or a group

is the common general word for saying no
denial
vsrefusal
61 2.8

Refusing a request or saying something is not true

is refusing acceptance or permission, not mainly denying truth
repudiation
vsrefusal
  • Formal
5 8.7

Saying you do not accept something, for example an accusation or agreement

is a simple act of saying no rather than formal disowning
turndown
vsrefusal
3 4.6

A refusal of an offer or request

applies to saying no in any situation, not only offers
rebuff
vsrefusal
3 7.7

A sharp refusal of an offer or request

is the neutral act of saying no without rudeness
declination
vsrefusal
  • Formal
1 8.7

A polite refusal of an invitation or offer

is any act of saying no, not necessarily polite or formal
disallowance
vsrefusal
  • Formal
1 7.2

An official decision not to accept a claim, for example a tax expense

is a general act of saying no that need not be official
pigheaded refusal
vsrefusal
  • Informal
1 8.5

A very stubborn decision not to change or listen to advice

is saying no in general without strong stubbornness
denegation
vsrefusal
  • Archaic
9.9

Saying that something is not true or refusing a request

is the everyday act of not accepting rather than formal denial
nonacceptance
vsrefusal
6.5

Refusal to accept an offer, invitation, or idea

is the general act of saying no beyond offers or proposals
unacceptance
vsrefusal
7.5

A feeling of not being welcomed or not agreeing

describes the action of refusing rather than the resulting state

Antonyms

220 1.0

A sign that someone thinks a person or thing is good

104 2.7

Being approved or welcomed by other people

Compounds

1 8.5

A very stubborn decision not to change or listen to advice

How Firm

denial
61 2.8
rejection
180 3.0
refusal
122 1.4

Surface Forms

refusal singular
refusals plural

Morphology

refusal = refuse (transparent) = refuse + al

Standard noun formation from the verb 'refuse' using '-al', meaning 'the act or process of refusing'.

Etymology

Refusal comes from the verb refuse, which has the part re- meaning 'back' and originally carried the idea of sending something back or pushing it away. So a refusal is literally pushing an offer back, which is why it means 'a rejection'.