Definitions

refusal

[ri-fyoo-zuhl] / rɪˈfyu zəl /

NOUN

denial of responsibility; unwillingness

Synonyms

STRONGEST

ban defiance exclusion noncompliance rejection reversal veto

STRONG

abnegation choice declension declination disapproval disavowal disclaimer disfavor dissent enjoinment forbidding interdiction negation nix no nonacceptance option pass prohibition proscription rebuff refutation regrets renouncement renunciation repudiation repulse repulsion turndown withholding writ

WEAK

cold shoulder disallowance discountenancing knockback nonconsent thumbs-down

Antonyms

STRONGEST

acceptance allowance approval permission ratification sanction

STRONG

agreement attraction confirmation endorsement

WEAK

OK grant offer

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Back in 416 B.C., the refusal to submit to Athens, the superpower of antiquity, ended badly for the islanders of Melos.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

Heteropessimism isn’t an anti-straight ideology or a refusal to couple up.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026

The prosecutor's office in the northwestern city of Brest said a criminal investigation had been opened over failure to prove a vessel's nationality, absence of a flag and refusal to comply.

From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026

The club’s refusal to advance her, in McArthur’s view, was plain retaliation.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

It's fine to cure the leukemia sufferers but much more satisfying to imagine the parade of opportunists confounded by my refusal to cooperate.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

Vocabulary lists containing refusal

"The First Day of School," Vocabulary from the short story

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poems about parents

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