denyverb [ T ]
uk/dɪˈnaɪ/us/dɪˈnaɪ/deny verb [ T ] (NOT TRUE)
B2 to say that something is not true:
He will not confirm or deny the allegations.
[ + that ] Neil denies that he broke the window, but I'm sure he did.
[ + -ing verb ] Neil denies breaking the window.
there's no denying
it is true:
There's no denying that this has been a difficult year for the company.
More examples
- He said the police assaulted him while he was in custody, a claim which the police deny.
- The president has consistently denied the rumours.
- A close associate of the author denied reports that she had cancer.
- She has always stridently denied the accusations against her.
- The ambassador denied that any missiles had been fired across the border.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Denying & contradicting
- abnegate
- answer
- answer (sb) back
- change your tune idiom
- contradiction
- debunk
- defensive
- denial
- disagree
- Dutchman
- hell
- I'm a Dutchman idiom
- nonsense
- oxymoron
- rebut
- speak for yourself idiom
- stand
- stand sth on its head idiom
- talk
- the hell sb is/does, etc. idiom
See more results »
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Admitting & confessing
deny verb [ T ] (REFUSE)
B2 to not allow someone to have or do something:
Her request for time off work was denied.
No one should be denied a good education./A good education should be denied to no one.
[ + two objects ] The goalkeeper denied him his third goal.
I was denied the opportunity of learning French at school.
More examples
- While priests were denied the right to marry and procreate, he said, their situation would remain impossible.
- Freedom of speech and freedom of thought were both denied under the dictatorship.
- All I'd cherished from early childhood had been denied me, so I simply gave up the ghost.
- Can the right to live ever be denied to any human?
- He complained that he had been denied his conjugal rights.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Forbidding and banning things
- abolish
- abolitionist
- ban
- bar
- blacklist
- clean
- clean (sth) up
- curfew
- debar
- disallow
- disqualify
- nix
- off-limits
- out of bounds idiom
- outlaw
- prohibit
- prohibition
- taboo
- unauthorized
- veto
See more results »
deny verb [ T ] (NOT ADMIT)
to not admit that you have knowledge, responsibility, feelings, etc.:
He denied all responsibility for the rumours which have been circulating.
Even under torture, he refused to deny his beliefs/faith.
deny yourself
to not allow yourself to have or do things:
Many parents deny themselves so that their children can have the best.
formal to refuse to admit that you have any connection with something or someone:
She has denied her family and refuses to have any contact with them.
More examples
- She knew that Dave wasn't the right man for her but she couldn't deny that there was an attraction between them.
- She denied any personal enmity towards him.
- The company consistently denied responsibility, but it agreed to the settlement to avoid a long and expensive legal case.
- Alois denied any knowledge of the matter.
- She has strenuously denied any criminal wrongdoing.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Denying & contradicting
- abnegate
- answer
- answer (sb) back
- change your tune idiom
- contradiction
- debunk
- defensive
- denial
- disagree
- Dutchman
- hell
- I'm a Dutchman idiom
- nonsense
- oxymoron
- rebut
- speak for yourself idiom
- stand
- stand sth on its head idiom
- talk
- the hell sb is/does, etc. idiom
See more results »
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Refusing & rejecting