deny
- v. 否认
- v. 拒绝
- Definition
- v. to say that something is not true
- v. to refuse to allow something
- Example
- He tried to deny eating the last cookie in the jar.
- 他试图否认自己吃了罐子里最后一块饼干。
Synonyms & Differences 近义词辨析
Compared meaning: to refuse to allow or give something (verb).
比较义项：拒绝，不允许某事发生或不给予某物（动词）。
- refuse
The general, everyday word for saying no to an offer, request or permission; unlike deny, it can be followed directly by a to-infinitive to mean refuse to perform an action.
这是表示“拒绝”最常用、最口语化的词，适用于拒绝提议、请求或许可；与 deny 不同，它可以直接接动词不定式，表示“拒绝做某事”。
The soldier refused to hand over his weapon.
那名士兵拒绝交出他的武器。
- deny 本词
A more formal word, typical of official or institutional contexts, used with a person and a thing (deny someone something); it cannot take a to-infinitive with this meaning, since 'deny to do something' is not standard English.
这是一个更正式的词，常用于官方或制度化的语境，搭配为“deny someone something”（拒绝给予某人某物）；在这个意义上它不能接动词不定式，因为“deny to do something”这种说法不符合标准英语用法。
The city council denied the company permission to build on the site.
市议会拒绝给予该公司在这块地上施工的许可。
Refuse and deny both mean saying no to allowing or giving something. Refuse is general, and can be followed by 'to,' as in refuse to do something. Deny is more formal, used as 'deny someone something.' It excludes deny's other sense, saying something is false.
这两个词在“拒绝、不允许”这个意义上很接近，但 refuse 更口语化、适用范围更广，可以直接接动词不定式（refuse to do sth）；deny 语气更正式，常见于官方或制度化的语境，通常接“deny someone something”的结构，不能像 refuse 那样直接接动词不定式表示“拒绝做某事”。这里不比较 deny 常见的另一个意思——“否认（某事属实）”，例如 deny doing something 表示“否认自己做过某事”。