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Refuse vs Eschew - What's the difference?

refuse | eschew |

As verbs the difference between refuse and eschew

is that refuse is while eschew is (formal) to avoid; to shun, to shy away from.

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 ----

    eschew

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (formal) To avoid; to shun, to shy away from.

    • Usage notes

    * The verb is not normally applied to the avoidance or shunning of a person or physical object, but rather, only to the avoidance or shunning of an idea, concept, or other intangible.

    Quotations

    {{timeline , 1500s=1599 , 1900s=1927 , 2010s=2014}} * *: What cannot be eschew’d must be embrac’d. * 1927 , *: He could afford no servants, and would admit but few visitors to his absolute solitude; eschewing close friendships and receiving his rare acquaintances in one of the three ground-floor rooms which he kept in order. * '>citation

    Derived terms

    * (l)

    Related terms

    * shy

    References