refuse-v; 4 Senses

Sense Number 1: be unwilling to accept or do

Commentary: Syntax Includes: NP1 REFUSE NP2 NP1 REFUSE TO COMP

Examples:
He refused to join the group on a hike.
He refused my offer of hospitality.
They refused hundreds of fans.
After 3 rounds of chemo, my body refused to go into remission.

Mappings:
VerbNet: NP
FrameNet: Agree_or_refuse_to_act
PropBank: refuse.01
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 1, 2, 3, 6

Sense Number 2: deny, not let someone have something

Commentary: Syntax Includes: NP1 REFUSE NP2 NP3[patient] NP1 REFUSE NP2 NP3[topic]

Examples:
I refused them the use of my tools.
She refused him the dog.
Eventually, he refused her the visa.
The British government refused them the full rights of English citizens.

Mappings:
VerbNet: NP
FrameNet: NM
PropBank: NM
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 4

Sense Number 3: reject sexual or romantic overtures

Commentary:
NOTE: this sense is not based on syntactic or semantic features, but on the very strong inferences that native speakers derive from the context.

Examples:
She refused him utterly, and foretold his death at Rama's hands.
As he told Circe of his love she fell in love with him, but he refused her.
When he refused her, she attempted to battle him.
He said they would both lose their jobs if she refused him.
He admired Betsy and asked her to marry him but at first she refused him.

Mappings:
VerbNet: NP
FrameNet: Agree_or_refuse_to_act
PropBank: NM

Sense Number 4: resist immunologically foreign tissue or organ

Examples:
His body refused the liver of the donor.
Two of his patients have refused donor parts.

Mappings:
VerbNet: NP
FrameNet: NM
PropBank: NM
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 5