deny
verb
de·ny di-ˈnī 
dē-
denied; denying; denies
transitive verb
1
: to declare (something) to be untrue
They denied the allegations.
2
: to refuse to admit or acknowledge (something) : disavow
denied responsibility for the vandalism
3
a
: to give a negative answer to
denying the petitioners
b
: to refuse to grant
deny a request
was denied a refund
c
: to restrain (oneself) from gratification of desires
unwilling to deny himself the foods that he loves
4
: to refuse to accept the existence, truth, or validity of
There's no denying her expertise.
You can't deny that he's a good singer.
5
medical : to report or note the absence of (a symptom)
The patient denies pruritus …
David A. Fisher
David A. Fisher6
archaic : decline
denyingly
di-ˈnī-iŋ-lē
adverb dē-
Synonyms
- contradict
- disaffirm
- disallow
- disavow
- disclaim
- disconfirm
- disown
- gainsay
- negate
- negative
- refute
- reject
- repudiate
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
He denied the report that he would be quitting his job. She denies all the charges that have been made against her. The police deny that racism is a problem in the department. Yes, I was there. I don't deny it. The judge denied their request. a government that denies its citizens basic freedoms See More
Recent Examples on the Web The fervently Orthodox communities that encourage men to father large families but deny boys the secular education that would enable them to support those families are doing a disservice to their students and society. WSJ, 16 Sep. 2022 Sanchez noted that most statewide GOP incumbents did not outright deny the 2020 outcome or use their positions to try to overturn the election. Nicholas Riccardi, Chron, 10 Sep. 2022 So why do so many leaders continue to ignore the data and stubbornly deny the facts? Gleb Tsipursky, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2022 This would ensure there is always a bed and pillow waiting for every child in the county’s care, even if other providers deny them. Kaitlin Durbin, cleveland, 4 Sep. 2022 The board has the final authority over whether to approve or deny the request. Zachary Schermele, NBC News, 1 Sep. 2022 The thoroughness of his training is evident in his meticulous craftsmanship, which even his harshest critics could not deny. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022 ByteDance and TikTok did not contest that the 300 LinkedIn profiles represent current employees or deny their connections to Chinese state media. Emily Baker-white, Forbes, 11 Aug. 2022 Despite the report’s findings of misconduct, each of the professors, who deny the allegations, entered into settlements with the university and resigned. Jason Sanchez, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2022 See More
WSJ, 16 Sep. 2022 Sanchez noted that most statewide GOP incumbents did not outright deny the 2020 outcome or use their positions to try to overturn the election. Nicholas Riccardi, Chron, 10 Sep. 2022 So why do so many leaders continue to ignore the data and stubbornly deny the facts? Gleb Tsipursky, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2022 This would ensure there is always a bed and pillow waiting for every child in the county’s care, even if other providers deny them. Kaitlin Durbin, cleveland, 4 Sep. 2022 The board has the final authority over whether to approve or deny the request. Zachary Schermele, NBC News, 1 Sep. 2022 The thoroughness of his training is evident in his meticulous craftsmanship, which even his harshest critics could not deny. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022 ByteDance and TikTok did not contest that the 300 LinkedIn profiles represent current employees or deny their connections to Chinese state media. Emily Baker-white, Forbes, 11 Aug. 2022 Despite the report’s findings of misconduct, each of the professors, who deny the allegations, entered into settlements with the university and resigned. Jason Sanchez, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English denien, borrowed from Anglo-French denier, deneier (also continental Old French), from de- de- (reinforcing the meaning of the base verb) + nier "to renounce, deny, refuse" (after Latin dēnegāre "to deny"), going back to Latin negāre "to say (with the negative of a conjoined clause), deny, say no" — more at negate
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing deny
Kids Definition
deny
verb
de·ny di-ˈnī
denied; denying
1
: to declare not to be true
"Well, they were a lazy lot—that much you can't deny." Mary Norton, The Borrowers
Mary Norton, The Borrowers2
: to refuse to grant
deny a request
3
: to refuse to admit
deny guilt
Legal Definition
deny
transitive verb
de·ny
denied; denying
1
: to declare untrue
a party must…admit or deny the allegations Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 8(b)
compare avoid Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 8(b)2
: to refuse to grant
denied the motion for a new trial
denying
verb
1
as in refuting
to declare not to be true the congressman denied all charges of wrongdoing Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- refuting
- rejecting
- contradicting
- disallowing
- negating
- disavowing
- disowning
- disclaiming
- repudiating
- disputing
- disconfirming
- disaffirming
- gainsaying
- disproving
- traversing
- challenging
- negativing
- rebutting
- confuting
- disagreeing (with)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- acknowledging
- admitting
- confirming
- allowing
- accepting
- conceding
- claiming
- owning
- asserting
- embracing
- adopting
- affirming
- maintaining
- declaring
- submitting
- announcing
- avowing
- verifying
- professing
- validating
- espousing
- averring
- corroborating
- substantiating
- authenticating
2
as in rejecting
to be unwilling to grant the director denied access to the top secret files to all but those with a need to know Synonyms & Similar Words
- rejecting
- refusing
- declining
- withholding
- disallowing
- forbidding
- disapproving
- prohibiting
- restricting
- negativing
- vetoing
- nixing
- keeping
- proscribing
- reprobating
- banning
- restraining
- enjoining
- spurning
- rebuffing
- hindering
- impeding
- obstructing
- repressing
- holding
- checking
- curbing
- constraining
- repelling
- balking (at)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- granting
- letting
- providing
- allowing
- permitting
- conceding
- giving
- supplying
- affording
- authorizing
- furnishing
- okaying
- acquiescing
- warranting
- licensing
- sanctioning
- according
- commissioning
- agreeing (to)
- OK'ing
- consenting (to)
- assenting (to)
- acceding (to)
- licencing
- vouchsafing
3
as in refusing
to refuse to acknowledge as one's own or as one's responsibility in a futile attempt to get out of the contract, he even denied his own signature Synonyms & Similar Words
- refusing
- refuting
- rejecting
- criticizing
- disavowing
- disowning
- disclaiming
- repudiating
- questioning
- contradicting
- disallowing
- disproving
- negating
- renouncing
- challenging
- retracting
- disputing
- confuting
- rebutting
- gainsaying
- abdicating
- washing one's hands of
- recanting
- abjuring
- negativing
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- claiming
- acknowledging
- recognizing
- granting
- accepting
- owning
- admitting
- adopting
- asserting
- embracing
- affirming
- conceding
- maintaining
- declaring
- confirming
- submitting
- announcing
- avowing
- verifying
- confessing
- espousing
- professing
- validating
- corroborating
- averring
- substantiating
- authenticating