Refuse vs Deny
Many are blind to the difference between refuse and deny when they are two words that are often confused due to the similarity in their meanings. However, before understanding this difference between refuse and deny that makes it wrong to use them as synonyms, we can have a look at the individual words separately. The origin of the word refuse lies in Middle English. At the same time, one can see that the origin of the word deny also lies in Middle English. It is interesting to see that if you use refuse as a noun it has an entirely different meaning. Refuse the noun is used to refer to rubbish.
What does Refuse mean?
The word refuse is used in the sense of ‘turning down an offer or a chance’. Observe the two sentences given below:
He refused the help of his brother.
She refused to accept the offer.
In both the sentences given above, the word refuse is used in the sense of ‘turning down’. In the first sentence, the meaning would be ‘he turned down the help of his brother’. In the second sentence, the meaning would be ‘she turned down the offer’. It is interesting to note that the word refuse is used as a verb and it has its noun form in the word refusal. The word refuse is often followed by the preposition ‘to’.
What does Deny mean?
On the other hand, the word deny is used in the sense of ‘not accepting an allegation or a fact’. This is the main difference between the two words, namely, refuse and deny. Observe the two sentences given below:
She denied the fact.
He denied the allegations made against his brother.
In both the sentences given above, the word deny is used in the sense of ‘non-acceptance’. In the first sentence, the meaning would be ‘she did not accept the fact’ and the meaning of the second sentence would be ‘he did not accept the allegations made against his brother’. On the other hand, the word deny is also used as a verb and it has its noun form in the word denial. Moreover, the word deny is not followed by the preposition ‘to’. This is an important difference between the two words. In fact, the word deny is not followed by any preposition for that matter. It is used quite independently.
What is the difference between Refuse and Deny?
• The word refuse is used in the sense of ‘turning down an offer or a chance’.
• On the other hand, the word deny is used in the sense of ‘not accepting an allegation or a fact’. This is the main difference between the two words, namely, refuse and deny.
• The word refuse is used as a verb and it has its noun form in the word refusal.
• On the other hand, the word deny is also used as a verb and it has its noun form in the word denial.
• The word refuse is often followed by the preposition ‘to’.
• On the other hand, the word deny is not followed by the preposition ‘to’. This is an important difference between the two words.
• In fact, the word deny is not followed by any preposition for that matter.
These are the differences between refuse and deny.
Images Courtesy:
- Deny Example by Fæ (CC BY 2.0)
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