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Neglect vs Refuse - What's the difference?

neglect | refuse |

As verbs the difference between neglect and refuse

is that neglect is (label) to fail to care for or attend to something while refuse is .

As a noun neglect

is the act of neglecting.

neglect

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • (label) To fail to care for or attend to something.
  • * (William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
    • I hope / My absence doth neglect no great designs.
  • * (John Milton) (1608-1674)
    • This, my long suffering and my day of grace, / Those who neglect and scorn shall never taste.
  • (label) To omit to notice; to forbear to treat with attention or respect; to slight.
  • (label) To fail to do or carry out something due to oversight or carelessness.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2014-06-14, volume=411, issue=8891, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= It's a gas , passage=One of the hidden glories of Victorian engineering is proper drains.

    Derived terms

    * benign neglect * neglectful * neglectfully * neglectfulness

    Related terms

    * negligee * negligence

    Noun

  • The act of neglecting.
  • The state of being neglected.
  • Habitual lack of care.

    • Synonyms

    * carelessness * negligence

    refuse

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) .

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Discarded, rejected.

    • Noun

    (-)
  • (UK) Collectively, items or material that have been discarded; rubbish, garbage.
    • Synonyms
    * discards * garbage (US ) * rubbish (UK ) * trash (US ) * See also

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) refuser, from .

    Verb

    (refus)
  • To decline (a request or demand).
    • My request for a pay rise was refused .
    I refuse to listen to this nonsense any more.
  • * Bible, Isa. i. 20
    • If ye refuse ye shall be devoured with the sword.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=September 27 , author=Alistair Magowan , title=Bayern Munich 2 - 0 Man City , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=City were outclassed thereafter and Roberto Mancini said that substitute Carlos Tevez refused to play.}}
  • To decline a request or demand, forbear; to withhold permission.
    • I asked the star if I could have her autograph, but she refused .
  • (military) To throw back, or cause to keep back (as the centre, a wing, or a flank), out of the regular alignment when troops are about to engage the enemy.
    • to refuse the right wing while the left wing attacks
  • (obsolete) To disown.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Refuse thy name.
    Usage notes
    * This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive . See
    Synonyms
    * (decline) decline, reject, nill, say no to, turn down, veto, withsake * (decline a request or demand) say no, forbear

    Noun

  • (obsolete) refusal
    • (Fairfax)
    English heteronyms English reporting verbs ----