refused
past form of “refuse” — show unwillingness towards
An inflected form of refuse · past form.
How often you will meet it
Rank 1,298 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 14,128 times across 175,160 chapters — 0.007% of every word in the library.
What it means
verb
- show unwillingness towards also: decline he declined to join the group on a hike
- refuse to accept also: reject, pass up, turn down, decline He refused my offer of hospitality
- elude, especially in a baffling way also: defy, resist This behavior defies explanation
- refuse to let have also: deny She denies me every pleasurehe denies her her weekly allowance
- resist immunologically the introduction of some foreign tissue or organ also: resist, reject His body rejected the liver of the donor
- refuse entrance or membership also: reject, turn down, turn away They turned away hundreds of fansBlack people were often rejected by country clubs
refused in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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He refused them with a gesture of rage.
Other People's Money · Emile Gaboriau · Chapter 1
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Biscoe denied the service and refused to pay the demand.
The Red Record Tabulated Statistics · Ida B. Wells-Barnett · Chapter 1
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This he refused vehemently, and asseverated that he was not the man we took him for, but, .
An Egyptian Princess — Volume 07 · Georg Ebers · Chapter 1
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Caesar never offered to walk with him: and he refused John's timid invitation to have food at the "Tudor Creameries."
The Hill: A Romance of Friendship · Horace Annesley Vachell · Chapter 1
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Primrose, however, would not have it; even Miss Martineau, who was their teacher, and perhaps their warmest friend, was refused admittance.
The Palace Beautiful: A Story for Girls · L. T. Meade · Chapter 1