verb

deny

dih-NEYE

verb

To state that something is not true.

"He denied stealing the money, even with the evidence against him."

"The company denied any wrongdoing in its official statement."

To refuse to give someone something they want or ask for.

"The landlord denied their request for an extension."

"She felt denied the recognition she deserved after years of hard work."

How to Use Deny

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo say something isn't true, or to refuse to allow someone something.

Common mistake

Don't confuse "deny" (say it isn't true) with "refuse" (decline to do something) — they overlap but aren't always interchangeable.

Common pairings

flatly deny deny the allegations deny a request deny access

Word Forms

denied past tense, denyed past tense, deny plural, denied plural, denyed plural, denies singular, deny singular, denyed singular, denied singular, deniest singular, denieth singular

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Etymology

From Old French denoier, from Latin denegare ("to refuse utterly"), built from de- ("away") and negare ("to say no").

Rhymes for deny

eeny teeny weeny Feeny progeny larceny Yevgeny

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