refuse (v.) Copy link Outline 1. rĕcūso, 1 (to decline, reject an offer, deny a request2. abnuo, ui, ūtum or uĭtum, 3 (to r. by shaking the head3. rĕnuo, ui, 3 (to deny by a shake of the head; constr. with acc. or absol.)4. nĕgo, 1 (to deny a request, say no)5. dēnĕgo, 1 (strengthened form of preced.)6. abnĕgo, 1 (mostly poet.)7. subnĕgo (to half r.)8. pernĕgo, 1 (to r. utterly)9. rĕpŭdio, 1 (to r. with scorn, reject; esp. as a law term)10. rĕtracto, 1 (to be reluctant; decline, mostly absol.)11. respuo, ui, 3 (to r. with disdain) • refuse (v.): 1. rĕcūso, 1 (to decline, reject an offer, deny a request: constr. with acc., de, acc. and inf., subj. after ne, quin, quominus, or absol.): to r. the friendship of the Romans, populi Romani amicitiam r., Caes. B. G. 1, 44: to r. tribute, r. de stipendio, id. ib.: his feet r. to carry his body, pedes ferre recusant corpus, Hor. S. 2, 7, 108: nor do I r. to go as your companion, nec tibi comes ire recuso, Virg. Aen. 2, 704: he r.'d to express his opinion, sententiam ne diceret recusavit, Cic. Off. 3, 27, 100. Join: non r., non abnuo, id. Mil. 36, 100. 2. abnuo, ui, ūtum or uĭtum, 3 (to r. by shaking the head: constr. with acc., rarely de): to understand what each man grants, and what he r.s to grant, intelligere quid quisque concedat, quid abnuat, Cic. Fin. 2, 1, 3: nor did the senate dare to r. him anything, neque illi senatus de ullo negotio a. audebat, Sall. Jug. 84: to r. to obey one's superior, a. melioribus parere, Liv. 22, 13, extr. 3. rĕnuo, ui, 3 (to deny by a shake of the head; constr. with acc. or absol.): you r. what another orders, r. tu quod jubet alter, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 63: to r. a banquet, r. convivium, Cic. Coel. 11, 27: he r.s and steadfastly says no, r. negitatque, Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 49. 4. nĕgo, 1 (to deny a request, say no): to r. the rights of citizenship, n. civitatem, Suet. Aug. 40: he r.s to go to meet the enemy, se ad hostem iturum negat, Caes. B. G. 5, 36, extr.: to r. obstinately, obstinate n., id. ib. 5, 6: to r. curtly, praecise n., Cic. Att. 8, 4, ad fin.: to r. courteously, belle n., Q. Cic. Pet. Cons. 11, 45: the region r.s to bear fruit, poma negat regio, Ov. Tr. 3, 10, 73. 5. dēnĕgo, 1 (strengthened form of preced.): to r. to give, dare d., Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 78: to r. one his request, aliquid petenti d., Caes. B. G. 1, 42: those to whom nature has r.'d powers of oratory, ii quibus natura oratorium ingenium denegavit, Tac. Or. 10, ad init. 6. abnĕgo, 1 (mostly poet.): to r. a marriage and a dowry, a. conjugium et dotes, Virg. Aen. 7, 423: to r. to be one's companion, comitem a. (sc. se), Hor. Od. 1, 35, 22. 7. subnĕgo (to half r.): I had almost half r.d your request, tibi prope subnegaram, Cic. Fam. 7, 19. 8. pernĕgo, 1 (to r. utterly): he r.d the praetorship, he utterly r.d the consulship, praeturam negavit, consulatum pernegavit, Sen. Ben. 5, 17, 2. 9. rĕpŭdio, 1 (to r. with scorn, reject; esp. as a law term): to r. an inheritance, r. hereditatem, Papin. Dig. 37, 77, § 31: to r. a match, conditionem r., Pl. Trin. 2, 4, 54: to r. a province, r. provinciam, Cic. Phil. 3, 10, 26: v. reject, renounce. 10. rĕtracto, 1 (to be reluctant; decline, mostly absol.): no one r.ing whose age allowed him to go, nullo qui per aetatem ire posset retractante, Liv. 3, 52: freq. confused in MSS. with dētrecto: v. decline. 11. respuo, ui, 3 (to r. with disdain): to r. the terms, r. conditiones, Caes. B. G. 1, 42: he kicks, he r.s, calcitrat, respuit, Cic. Coel. 15, 36. Phr.: on saying that he did not r., cum se non nolle dixisset, Cic. de Or. 2, 18, 75: to r. to hearken to prayers, preces aversari, Liv. 3, 12, ad fin.: he r.'d flatly without making any exception, plane sine ulla exceptione praecidit, Cic. Att. 8, 4, ad fin.: to r. any one the rites of burial, aliquem sepultura prohibere, Auct. Her. 4, 24, 33: she r.s to strike the lyre, refugit tendere barbiton, Hor. Od. 1, 1, 34.