# deny

Pronunciation: US say "duh-NY" /dəˈnaɪ/; UK say "di-NY" /dɪˈnaɪ/

## Verb

1. To state firmly that something claimed by others is not true.
   - Simple: To say firmly that something is not true.
   - _The minister denied all knowledge of the leaked documents._
   - _Witnesses deny seeing anyone leave the building that night._
2. To refuse to give or grant something that someone asks for.
   - Simple: To say no when someone asks for something.
   - _The court denied the appeal for a new trial._
   - _Authorities deny refugees passage across the closed border._
3. To formally disallow or reject something, such as a request or claim.
   - Simple: To say no to a request, plan, or idea.
   - _The committee denied the funding proposal after a long review._
   - _Insurance companies sometimes deny perfectly valid claims._
4. To deprive someone of something, or to take it away from them.
   - Simple: To stop someone from having something they need or want.
   - _The new law denied many residents their voting rights._
   - _Harsh prison conditions deny inmates even basic dignity._
5. To disclaim connection with or responsibility for someone or something; to refuse to acknowledge or disown them.
   - Simple: To say you have no connection with someone or something.
   - _Peter denied knowing the man three times before dawn._
   - _Some parents deny children who marry against their wishes._
6. In sports, to prevent an opposing player or team from scoring.
   - Simple: In sports, to stop another player or team from scoring.
   - _The keeper denied the forward at point-blank range._
   - _Disciplined defenders deny attackers any room near the goal._

## Verb

7. To refuse to do something, or to refuse to accept something offered. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To refuse to do or accept something.

## Origin

From Middle English denyen, from Old French denoier ("to deny, to repudiate"), from Latin denegare ("to deny, to refuse"). This comes from de- ("away") plus negare ("to refuse"), which traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "no, not."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/deny (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).