拒绝 (jùjué)

拒绝 means to refuse, reject, or decline. It expresses a firm unwillingness to accept or do something. It is more direct and stronger than 不要 (do not want), often used for formal refusals or deliberate rejection. Its natural antonym is 接受 (to accept). Together, 接受 and 拒绝 cover the two fundamental responses to any offer, request, or proposal.

Meanings

[verb] To refuse; to reject; to decline a request, offer, or invitation.

Example Sentences

他拒绝了我的邀请。 Tā jùjué le wǒ de yāoqǐng. He refused my invitation.

她拒绝回答那个问题。 Tā jùjué huídá nà gè wèntí. She refused to answer that question.

我的申请被拒绝了。 Wǒ de shēnqǐng bèi jùjué le. My application was rejected.

无论多难，他都不会拒绝帮助朋友。 Wúlùn duō nán, tā dōu bú huì jùjué bāngzhù péngyou. No matter how difficult, he would never refuse to help a friend.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
拒绝邀请	to refuse an invitation
拒绝申请	to reject an application
拒绝回答	to refuse to answer
被拒绝	to be rejected
断然拒绝	to flatly refuse

Memory Hook

拒 looks like a hand (扌) building a barrier. 绝 means absolute. Together: absolutely blocking something with your hand, refusing to let it through. When you 拒绝, you are not just saying 不 (no) weakly — you are planting your feet and making a firm, final refusal. Practice it paired with 接受: every offer in life meets either 接受 or 拒绝.