refusal — an act of declining to accept, do, or give something
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: an act of declining to accept, do, or give something
Pronunciation (IPA): /rɪˈfjuːzəl/
Example Sentences
- His refusal to eat vegetables made his mom very upset.
- The company's refusal to negotiate led to a strike.
- Despite her polite refusal, he kept asking her out.
refusal
NOUN[/rɪˈfjuːzəl/]
an act of declining to accept, do, or give something
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Latin refusare, meaning 'to reject' or 'to deny'. It combines the prefix re- (back, again) with fusare (to pour, to spill), literally denoting 'to pour back' or 'not to pour forth', which evolved to mean 'to refuse' or 'to reject'.
Breakdown
re- (back, against) + fusare (pour, spill) + -al (noun suffix forming an abstract noun). The morphological structure reflects the literal sense of 'pouring back' that metaphorically developed into the meaning of rejection or denial.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“His refusal to eat vegetables made his mom very upset.”
“The company's refusal to negotiate led to a strike.”
“Despite her polite refusal, he kept asking her out.”
“My cat's refusal to take a bath is legendary in our neighborhood.”
📚Related Words
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