deny
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to state that (something declared or believed to be true) is not true.
to deny an accusation.
- Synonyms:
- gainsay, oppose, controvert, dispute
-
to refuse to agree or accede to.
to deny a petition.
-
to withhold the possession, use, or enjoyment of.
to deny access to secret information.
- Antonyms:
- allow
-
to withhold something from, or refuse to grant a request of.
to deny a beggar.
-
to refuse to recognize or acknowledge; disown; disavow; repudiate.
to deny one's gods.
-
to withhold (someone) from accessibility to a visitor.
The secretary denied his employer to all those without appointments.
-
Obsolete. to refuse to take or accept.
idioms
verb
-
to declare (an assertion, statement, etc) to be untrue
he denied that he had killed her
-
to reject as false; refuse to accept or believe
-
to withhold; refuse to give
-
to refuse to fulfil the requests or expectations of
it is hard to deny a child
-
to refuse to acknowledge or recognize; disown; disavow
the baron denied his wicked son
-
to refuse (oneself) things desired
Related Words
Deny, contradict both imply objecting to or arguing against something. To deny is to say that something is not true: to deny an allegation. To contradict is to declare that the contrary is true: to contradict a statement.
Other Word Forms
- denyingly adverb
- predeny verb (used with object)
- redeny verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of deny
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English denien, from Old French denier, from Latin dēnegāre; denegation
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After previously denying it had federal contracts, Flock Chief Executive Garrett Langley admitted in interviews in recent months that the company has worked with U.S.
From Los Angeles Times
Through his attorney, Jarecki denied the allegations, characterizing the relationship as consensual.
It said forcing users to share data with Meta companies allowed the firm to leverage WhatsApp's dominance in India to deny advertising access to rivals.
From BBC
All the while, Iranian officials continued to deny it.
From BBC
He denied ever seeing a child, acknowledging it would be in breach of existing court orders.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
