deny
deny Lexical Profile
deny Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To state that something declared or believed to be true is not true.
"The spokesperson continued to deny the allegations of financial misconduct."
To refuse to give or grant something requested or desired to someone.
"The committee decided to deny the applicant access to the restricted archives."
To refuse to acknowledge or maintain a connection with someone or something; to disown.
"Even under intense pressure, he refused to deny his deeply held principles."
Word Nuance & Usage
When followed by a verb, 'deny' takes a gerund (-ing form) or a 'that' clause (e.g., 'He denied taking the money' or 'He denied that he took it'), rather than a 'to'-infinitive, which is used with 'refuse'.
• Rhymes for deny
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Entered Middle English from Old French 'denier', derived from Latin 'denegare' ('to reject or refuse completely'), a combination of the intensive prefix 'de-' and 'negare' ('to say no').