What does "deny" mean?
Deny: To refuse (to do something or to accept something); to reject; to decline; to renounce. [Obs.] "If you deny to dance." Shak.
Additional senses
- 2.To refuse to grant; to withhold; to refuse to gratify or yield to; as, to deny a request. Who finds not Providence all good and wise, Alike in what it gives, and what denies Pope. To some men, it is more agreeable to deny a vicious inclination, than to gratify it. J. Edwards.
- 3.To disclaim connection with, responsibility for, and the like; to refuse to acknowledge; to disown; to abjure; to disavow. The falsehood of denying his opinion. Bancroft. Thou thrice denied, yet thrice beloved. Keble. To deny one's self, to decline the gratification of appetites or desires; to practice self-denial. Let him deny himself, and take up his cross. Matt. xvi.
- 4.To answer in Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. Gen. xviii. 15.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00