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Reject vs. Refuse

Reject and Refuse Definitions

Reject

To refuse to accept, submit to, believe, or make use of
He rejected their version of what happened. The store rejected the merchandise because it was damaged.

Refuse

To indicate unwillingness to do, accept, give, or allow
She was refused admittance. He refused treatment.

Reject

(transitive) To refuse to accept.
She even rejected my improved offer.

Refuse

To indicate unwillingness (to do something)
Refused to leave.

Reject

(basketball) To block a shot, especially if it sends the ball off the court.

Refuse

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

To refuse a romantic advance.
I've been rejected three times this week.

Refuse

To decline to do, accept, give, or allow something.

Reject

Something that is rejected.

Refuse

Items or material discarded or rejected as useless or worthless; trash or rubbish.

Reject

An unpopular person.

Refuse

Discarded, rejected.
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Reject

(colloquial) A rejected defective product in a production line.

Refuse

Collectively, items or material that have been discarded; rubbish, garbage.

Reject

(aviation) A rejected takeoff.

Refuse

(obsolete) refusal

Reject

To cast from one; to throw away; to discard.
Therefore all this exercise of hunting . . . the Utopians have rejected to their butchers.
Reject me not from among thy children.

Refuse

(transitive) To decline (a request or demand).
My request for a pay rise was refused.
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Reject

To refuse to receive or to acknowledge; to decline haughtily or harshly; to repudiate.
That golden scepter which thou didst reject.
Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me.

Refuse

(intransitive) To decline a request or demand, forbear; to withhold permission.
I refuse to listen to this nonsense any more.
I asked the star if I could have her autograph, but she refused.

Reject

To refuse to grant; as, to reject a prayer or request.

Refuse

(military) To throw back, or cause to keep back (as the centre, a wing, or a flank), out of the regular alignment when troops are about to engage the enemy.
To refuse the right wing while the left wing attacks

Reject

The person or thing rejected or set aside as inferior in quality

Refuse

To disown.

Reject

Refuse to accept or acknowledge;
I reject the idea of starting a war
The journal rejected the student's paper

Refuse

To melt again.

Reject

Refuse to accept;
He refused my offer of hospitality

Refuse

To deny, as a request, demand, invitation, or command; to decline to do or grant.
That never yet refused your hest.

Reject

Deem wrong or inappropriate;
I disapprove of her child rearing methods

Refuse

To throw back, or cause to keep back (as the center, a wing, or a flank), out of the regular aligment when troops ar about to engage the enemy; as, to refuse the right wing while the left wing attacks.

Reject

Reject with contempt;
She spurned his advances

Refuse

To decline to accept; to reject; to deny the request or petition of; as, to refuse a suitor.
The cunning workman never doth refuseThe meanest tool that he may chance to use.

Reject

Resist immunologically the introduction of some foreign tissue or organ;
His body rejected the liver of the donor

Refuse

To disown.

Reject

Refuse entrance or membership;
They turned away hundreds of fans
Black people were often rejected by country clubs

Refuse

To deny compliance; not to comply.
Too proud to ask, too humble to refuse.
If ye refuse . . . ye shall be devoured with the sword.

Reject

Dismiss from consideration;
John was ruled out as a possible suspect because he had a strong alibi
This possibility can be eliminated from our consideration

Refuse

Refusal.

Refuse

That which is refused or rejected as useless; waste or worthless matter.

Refuse

Refused; rejected; hence; left as unworthy of acceptance; of no value; worthless.
Everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

Refuse

Food that is discarded (as from a kitchen)

Refuse

Show unwillingness towards;
He declined to join the group on a hike

Refuse

Refuse to accept;
He refused my offer of hospitality

Refuse

Elude, especially in a baffling way;
This behavior defies explanation

Refuse

Refuse to let have;
She denies me every pleasure
He denies her her weekly allowance

Refuse

Resist immunologically the introduction of some foreign tissue or organ;
His body rejected the liver of the donor

Refuse

Refuse entrance or membership;
They turned away hundreds of fans
Black people were often rejected by country clubs

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