Obey vs Refuse - What's the difference?
obey | refuse |
To do as ordered by (a person, institution etc), to act according to the bidding of.
To do as one is told.
(obsolete) To be obedient, compliant (to a given law, restriction etc.).
* 1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , III.iv:
(UK) Collectively, items or material that have been discarded; rubbish, garbage.
To decline (a request or demand).
* Bible, Isa. i. 20
* {{quote-news
, year=2011
, date=September 27
, author=Alistair Magowan
, title=Bayern Munich 2 - 0 Man City
, work=BBC Sport
To decline a request or demand, forbear; to withhold permission.
(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.
(obsolete) To disown.
* Shakespeare
In transitive terms the difference between obey and refuse
is that obey is to do as ordered by (a person, institution etc), to act according to the bidding of while refuse is to decline (a request or demand).In intransitive terms the difference between obey and refuse
is that obey is to do as one is told while refuse is to decline a request or demand, forbear; to withhold permission.As an adjective refuse is
discarded, rejected.As a noun refuse is
collectively, items or material that have been discarded; rubbish, garbage.obey
English
Verb
(en verb)- They were all taught by Triton, to obay / To the long raynes, at her commaundement [...].
Antonyms
* disobey * defy * rebel * resist * violate (especially rules )External links
* * 1000 English basic wordsrefuse
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) .Noun
(-)Synonyms
* discards * garbage (US ) * rubbish (UK ) * trash (US ) * See alsoEtymology 2
From (etyl) refuser, from .Verb
(refus)- My request for a pay rise was refused .
- I refuse to listen to this nonsense any more.
- If ye refuse ye shall be devoured with the sword.
citation, page= , passage=City were outclassed thereafter and Roberto Mancini said that substitute Carlos Tevez refused to play.}}
- I asked the star if I could have her autograph, but she refused .
- to refuse the right wing while the left wing attacks
- Refuse thy name.