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Revoke vs Refuse - What's the difference?

revoke | refuse |

In transitive terms the difference between revoke and refuse

is that revoke is to cancel or invalidate by withdrawing or reversing while refuse is to decline (a request or demand).

In intransitive terms the difference between revoke and refuse

is that revoke is to fail to follow suit in a game of cards when holding a card in that suit while refuse is to decline a request or demand, forbear; to withhold permission.

In obsolete terms the difference between revoke and refuse

is that revoke is to call back to mind; to recollect while refuse is refusal.

As an adjective refuse is

discarded, rejected.

revoke

English

Verb

  • To cancel or invalidate by withdrawing or reversing
  • Your driver's license will be revoked .
  • To fail to follow suit in a game of cards when holding a card in that suit.
  • (obsolete) To call or bring back; to recall.
  • * Spenser
  • The faint sprite he did revoke again, / To her frail mansion of morality.
  • (obsolete) To hold back; to repress; to restrain.
  • * Spenser
  • [She] still strove their sudden rages to revoke .
  • (obsolete) To draw back; to withdraw.
  • (Spenser)
  • (obsolete) To call back to mind; to recollect.
  • * South
  • A man, by revoking and recollecting within himself former passages, will be still apt to inculcate these sad memories to his conscience.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The act of revoking in a game of cards.
  • A renege; a violation of important rules regarding the play of tricks in trick-taking card games serious enough to render the round invalid.
  • A violation ranked in seriousness somewhat below overt cheating, with the status of a more minor offense only because, when it happens, it is usually accidental.
  • 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 ----