DENY


Meaning of DENY in English

verb

1

BAD : He asked his parents to help him, but they denied.

GOOD : He asked his parents to help him, but they refused.

BAD : When she denied to wear the uniform, she was dismissed.

GOOD : When she refused to wear the uniform, she was dismissed.

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deny sth = say that it is not true: 'He has been accused of stealing a car, but he denies it.' 'Both companies denied that they had been discharging toxic waste.'

refuse (to do sth) = say that you will not do it: 'Employers are refusing to discuss a pay settlement until the staff return to work.' 'The students were told to leave the building, but they refused.'

2

BAD : She asked him if he had seen a little boy but he denied.

GOOD : She asked him if he had seen a little boy but he said he hadn't.

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You deny an accusation or claim (NOT a question): 'The accused denied both charges.' 'He denied being anywhere near the scene of the crime.'

3

BAD : She accused him of cheating but he denied.

GOOD : She accused him of cheating but he denied it.

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Deny is a transitive verb: 'He denied that he forged the signature.' 'He denied having forged the signature.' 'He denied it.'

Longman Common Errors English vocabulary.      Английский словарь распространенных ошибок Longman.