refusal
/rɪˈfjuːz(ə)l
/noun [usually with infinitive]
1An act of refusing to do something: he became tired of his friend’s refusal to see him...
- In the past, refusal to serve in the military could carry prison sentences of up to five years.
- One of the weaknesses of the mass storage industry is a stubborn refusal to learn from history.
- They also expressed dismay at the Israeli government's continued refusal to restart the peace process.
Synonyms
withholding, failure to grant, denial, veto, turndown
informal the thumbs down
1.1An expression of unwillingness to accept or grant an offer or request: an appeal against the refusal of a licence...
- In any event there was a long delay between him learning of this appeal and his refusal of the offer of employment.
- But members of the town council's planning sub-committee voted to recommend refusal of planning permission.
- In his report to the board, Mr Moore recommended refusal of the application.
Synonyms
non-acceptance, no, dissent, demurral, negation, rebuff, turndown;
regrets
informal knock-back, brush-off
rare declinature
1.2An instance of a horse stopping short or running aside at a jump: Dollar Girl hit several fences and had a refusal...
- At this level the riders are not timed, but penalties are awarded for faults such as refusal to jump or knocking down a fence.
- It took a lot of concentration to be able to maneuver your horse correctly and get it to jump all 3 jumps without refusals, knockdowns or passing the fence.
