拒む

• Reading: こばむ
• Romaji: kobamu
• Kanji breakdown: 拒 (kyo/ko) — to refuse, resist
• Pronunciation: /ko.ba.mɯ/

Meaning

To refuse; to reject; to decline; to resist; to rebuff. Expresses active, principled opposition or denial.

A Group 1 (godan) verb. More formal and literary than 断る (kotowaru), 拒む suggests firmer, more principled resistance rather than polite declination. Common collocations: 要求を拒む (to reject a demand), 入国を拒む (to refuse entry), 誘いを拒む (to rebuff an invitation). Also used of non-human subjects — 体が変化を拒む (the body resists change) — giving the verb a wide stylistic range.

Examples

1. 彼は権力者の不当な要求を毅然と拒んだ。 He firmly refused the unreasonable demands of those in power.
2. 入管は虚偽申告が判明した旅行者の入国を拒んだ。 Immigration denied entry to the traveler after discovering a false declaration.
3. その素材は熱を拒む性質を持っている。 The material has properties that resist heat.

Usage Guide

Context: law, social refusal, materials science, politics

Tone: firm

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 拒 combines the hand radical (扌) with a phonetic component meaning to block or resist. The compound 拒絶 (kyozetsu, flat refusal) shares the same character.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal