refusalre‧fus‧al /rɪˈfjuːzəl/ ●●○ noun [countable, uncountable] 
His refusal to pay the fine got him into even more trouble.flat/blunt/point-blank refusal (=an immediate direct refusal) His request was met with a blunt refusal.refusal of They couldn’t understand her refusal of a scholarship to Yale.COLLOCATIONSadjectivesa stubborn/obstinate refusal (=a refusal even when others think this is unreasonable)· Her stubborn refusal to admit the truth was trying his patience.a flat/outright refusal (=definite and direct)· She had not anticipated a flat refusal.a point-blank refusal (=immediate, direct, and without a reason)· This point-blank refusal to discuss the issue enraged him.a blunt refusal (=honest and direct but likely to upset someone)· A blunt refusal to help will simply damage relations further.a polite refusal· My request was met with a polite refusal.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Refusal to do military service was a criminal offence.
- He was upset by her refusal.
- His request for a bigger room met with a blunt refusal.
- She must understand the consequences of her refusal to accept medical treatment.
- His argument seemed to be based fearlessly on the refusal to recognise what is already public knowledge about our plans.
- It is a restlessness, a refusal to longterm relationships, that has typified both his public and private life.
- Kelly Johnson was a curmudgeon, but he was revered at the Skunk Works for his refusal to compromise about airplanes.
- The great imperial Zanuck was not amused at Boyo Burton's refusal and tried to force his hand.
- There'd been a chorus of objection then and a flat refusal from Becky to stay with the younger children.
- There was an association between refusal and having a younger sibling.
Longman Language Activatorto say that you will not do something
to tell someone firmly that you will not do something they asked you to do: · I asked Stevie if she would help us, but she refused.refuse to do something: · If they refuse to leave, call the police.· The church refused to give legitimacy to the new state.flatly refuse (=refuse without explanation in a way that seems unreasonable): · Mother flatly refused to see the doctor.
when someone refuses to do something that they have been asked to do: · He was upset by her refusal.· His request for a bigger room met with a blunt refusal.refusal to do something: · She must understand the consequences of her refusal to accept medical treatment.· Refusal to do military service was a criminal offence.
especially spoken to tell someone that you will not do what they asked you to do: · I asked Dad to lend me some money, but he said no.say no no: · They asked me so nicely, I couldn't really say no to them.
especially spoken if someone will not or won't do something that they have been asked to do or told to do, they are determined not to do it: · He won't do anything that I ask him to do.· I won't sign the contract unless they offer me more money.
to refuse to do something - use this when you think it is wrong or unfair that anyone should expect you to do something: · I'm not prepared to wait any longer.· The landlord says that he is not prepared to pay for the repairs.
to allow certain things, but feel that you must refuse when a particular point is reached: · Our rules about time-keeping are fairly flexible, but we have to draw the line somewhere.draw the line at: · I don't mind your brother coming to stay, but I draw the line at him moving in!
formal to politely refuse to do what someone has asked you to do, especially when they have asked for your opinion or asked for information: · When asked to comment on details of the agreement, the President declined.decline to do something: · A security officer at the factory, who declined to give his name, said he had seen two men leave the building.· I asked Mr Hughes if he was satisfied with the jury's verdict but he declined to comment.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYadjectives an obstinate refusal to obey a point-blank refusalCOLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
(=a refusal even when others think this is unreasonable)· Her stubborn refusal to admit the truth was trying his patience.
(=definite and direct)· She had not anticipated a flat refusal.
(=immediate, direct, and without a reason)· This point-blank refusal to discuss the issue enraged him.
(=honest and direct but likely to upset someone)· A blunt refusal to help will simply damage relations further.
· My request was met with a polite refusal.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES an obstinate refusal to obey a point-blank refusal· There'd been a chorus of objection then and a flat refusal from Becky to stay with the younger children.· In many cases where a request has been made, it has met with a flat refusal.· She had not anticipated a flat refusal.
· Ballater sensed obstinate refusal rather than a willingness to bargain.· The obstinate refusal of many males to support gun control is not chiefly a product of conditioning by the weapons industry.· A defendant can combat an obstinate refusal even to consider compromise by a shrewd payment into court, or a Calderbank offer.
· Perhaps it was her stubborn refusal to see her family broken up that made Mrs Breen appealing to Farnham.
NOUN· Certainly, voluntary anonymised seroprevalence studies are discouraged because it is felt that even a 5% refusal rate may invalidate the results.· The refusal rate has varied between 5% and 6%.· Our concern is not the actual refusal rate but to ensure that families have choice on the basis of informed consent.· A considerable inducement was offered, but the refusal rate was high.· At that time the refusal rate by the coroners in our region was effectively zero.· Results show that interviewers who have worked for over five years have lower refusal rates than more recent recruits.
VERB· This is because it is possible to dismiss fairly for a refusal to accept change.· This attitude is linked to their refusal to accept that the prohibition of inhumane weapons applies to nuclear weapons.· Fundamentalism is radically anti - catholic in its refusal to accept any form of priestly mediation.· Specialist, separate services for dementia sufferers v Negative segregation, that is, the refusal to accept dementing people into a service.· The gifts had become a pressure, an embarrassment, and her refusal to accept them had made him manipulative.· The refusal to accept a marriage proposal was often interpreted as a statement of superiority.· Margaret was in complete agreement with her husband's refusal to accept the bribe of a bishopric.· These varied from outright refusal to accept the woman engineer, to a bantering jokiness.
· Their refusal to acknowledge the hitherto unfair rating of widows, widowers and single people.
· It didn't come back with a refusal and allow us to discuss alternative ways of achieving our objective.· The blank and sometimes insolent refusal to allow a quicker group through is another malpractice becoming more prevalent.· Lord Lane accepted that the refusal to allow Alladice a lawyer was quite improper and a clear breach of section 58.· So a blind obstinate energy kept her constant in her refusal to allow any eventuality to mar her Love Affair.· But Mr Museveni's most dangerous failure is destined to be his refusal to allow opposition groups to organise.
· A refusal to answer questions for example, could, in the absence of reasonable excuse, amount to contempt of court.· In other cases we must be careful that questions will not result in refusals to answer.· Actual refusals to answer questions are always, in practice, fewer than might be expected.· Iago's refusal to answer that question puts him outside human society for ever.
· But a blind refusal to consider alternatives is negatively based on fear, ignorance, deeply embedded convictions or insularity.· This second refusal was considered by the Chamber in a heated session on the first of June.· A defendant can combat an obstinate refusal even to consider compromise by a shrewd payment into court, or a Calderbank offer.
· The shock move follows his refusal to speak at a trial on the fate of the banned Communist Party.· The appeal follows the refusal of planning permission by this Council.
· A right of first refusal was granted to former land and home owners when their expropriated property came on the market.· The next question is whether such action is taken in relation to the grant or refusal to grant a further loan.
· Major's attachment to free market doctrine has been loosened by the public's refusal to let short-termism shut Britain's pits.· She nodded her head slowly, as if she went along with his refusal to let her read it.· It is less a question of efficiency or cleanliness than a refusal to let past and present blur together.
· In many cases where a request has been made, it has met with a flat refusal.· But he met with an invariable refusal.
· Behind these arrears is evidence of a collective refusal to pay, which the bishop's officers could not overcome.· Would his refusal to pay hurt him in further business dealings?· Next term there will be a student campaign of refusal to pay tuition fees.· Their judicial proclamations range from grandiloquent declarations of sovereign citizenship to lowly refusals to pay speeding tickets.· Many of the people who try to file similar papers are driven by their refusal to pay taxes, Martin said.
· My Member of Parliament responded to my appeal by pointing out that their refusal is in line with the law.
· His argument seemed to be based fearlessly on the refusal to recognise what is already public knowledge about our plans.
· It follows the film star's refusal to sign an agreement covering his twice-weekly meetings with the boy.· Bonds irritates many writers because of his rudeness, and he turns off some fans with his refusal to sign autographs.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► have/give somebody first refusal on something
when you say firmly that you will not do, give, or accept somethingrefusal to do something- In many cases where a request has been made, it has met with a flat refusal.
- One or other of them drafted a statement which was a flat denial that he had misbehaved either sexually or politically.
- She had not anticipated a flat refusal.
- There'd been a chorus of objection then and a flat refusal from Becky to stay with the younger children.
- After two-and-a-half years of stubborn resistance, the Republic collapsed rapidly during the first three months of 1939.
- As the family kept vigil, the children saw at close quarters the stubborn determination of their stepmother.
- However, Wainwright offered stubborn resistance, and responded with some hard hitting from the baseline to level the score at 6-6.
- Perhaps it was her stubborn refusal to see her family broken up that made Mrs Breen appealing to Farnham.
- There was no cheering on the part of the men, but a stubborn determination to obey orders and do their duty.
- What accounted for this stubborn resistance of nationalities to the predicted assimilation?
His refusal to pay the fine got him into even more trouble.flat/blunt/point-blank refusal (=an immediate direct refusal) His request was met with a blunt refusal.refusal of They couldn’t understand her refusal of a scholarship to Yale.COLLOCATIONSadjectivesa stubborn/obstinate refusal (=a refusal even when others think this is unreasonable)· Her stubborn refusal to admit the truth was trying his patience.a flat/outright refusal (=definite and direct)· She had not anticipated a flat refusal.a point-blank refusal (=immediate, direct, and without a reason)· This point-blank refusal to discuss the issue enraged him.a blunt refusal (=honest and direct but likely to upset someone)· A blunt refusal to help will simply damage relations further.a polite refusal· My request was met with a polite refusal.