recusar

Recusar is a verb in Portuguese that means to reject, refuse, or decline something offered, requested, or proposed. It can express not accepting or not complying with an order or proposal. The verb is transitive (recusar algo) and can be used reflexively with the construction recusar-se a, meaning to refuse to do something.

Etymology: Recusar comes from Latin recusare, meaning to refuse or oppose, and was adopted into Portuguese with the sense of declining or rejeitar.

Usage: Recusar is common in everyday, formal, and legal language. Typical collocations include recusar uma oferta, recusar um convite, recusar-se a aceitar, or recusar-se a colaborar. The noun form is recusa, referring to the act of refusing; a denied request is a pedido recusado. Synonyms include rejeitar and negar, with nuance: rejeitar often emphasizes a broader rejection, while negar tends to involve denial of a truth or fact.

Grammatical notes: Recusar is a regular verb of the first conjugation (-ar). In present indicative, standard forms are eu recuso, tu recusas, ele recusa, nós recusamos, vocês recusam. It forms past tenses regularly as recusei, recusaste, recusou, etc. To express a refusal to perform an action, use recusar-se a followed by an infinitive, as in recusar-se a colaborar.

Examples: Ela recusou o convite. Ele se recusou a assinar o contrato. A empresa recusou-se a revelar detalhes. A recusa desse pedido foi comunicada por escrito.

See also: recusa, rejeitar, negar.