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Refuse vs Rebut - What's the difference?

refuse | rebut |

As verbs the difference between refuse and rebut

is that refuse is to decline (a request or demand) while rebut is to drive back or beat back; to repulse.

As an adjective refuse

is discarded, rejected.

As a noun refuse

is collectively, items or material that have been discarded; rubbish, garbage.

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 ----

    rebut

    English

    Verb

    (rebutt)
  • To drive back or beat back; to repulse.
  • * Spenser
    • Who him, recount'ring fierce, as hawk in flight, / Perforce rebutted back.
  • (senseid)To deny the truth of something, especially by presenting arguments that disprove it.

    • Derived terms

    * rebuttal * rebutter

    References

    * " rebut, v. " listed in the Oxford English Dictionary (second edition, 1989)

    Anagrams

    * ----