The word "refuse" is an antonym of the word "accept"; does this make the phrase "refuse to accept" redundant and/or linguistically incorrect?
Learn English – Is the phrase “refuse to accept” redundant
antonymsredundancy
antonymsredundancy
The word "refuse" is an antonym of the word "accept"; does this make the phrase "refuse to accept" redundant and/or linguistically incorrect?
Best Answer
In some senses, yes. For example, "refused to accept the invitation" could be replaced by "refused the invitation" without a change in meaning (though I feel the latter is a bit more emphatic).
However, "accept" has many meanings, such as "to regard as true or sound." In this case, "refuse to accept the claim" does not mean the same thing as "refuse the claim." For example, if someone claimed that the Earth was flat, you could refuse to accept the claim, but not refuse the claim. "Refuse the claim" is typically used when claim means "a demand for something due" rather than "an assertion that something is true," e.g. "He refused the insurance claim."