Equivalent use : rejected and refused [closed]

Question

Can "refused" used here equivalent for "rejected" ?

I applied for a job as a mechanic in a local garage, but I was rejected.

• but i was refused.

Answer 1

There is a significant difference in meaning between refuse and reject.

Reject literally means "throw back". It has strong negative connotations: the rejected object has been treated with disdain.

I don't think that many people would say "I was rejected": it's much too personally negative. They might say "my application was rejected".

Refuse is normally about acceptance for oneself or permission for somebody else: you can refuse to have or do something, or you can refuse somebody permission to have or do something.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, if you use the word refuse with just one object, it must be the thing that is refused:

I refused the invitation.

Turning that into passive voice, you get

the invitation was refused.

If you say I was refused, it means that you are the thing that is refused: that simply doesn't work.

If you use two objects, you can specify both what was refused and who didn't get it:

They refused him a salary rise

and in passive voice

He was refused a salary rise

You could use refuse, but would be necessary to specify what was refused, otherwise it sounds like you were the thing that was refused.

Rather than refuse or reject, it is far more likely- especially for a garage mechanic- that they would say

I applied for a job as a mechanic in a local garage, but I didn't get it.

Answer 2

The dictionary definitions are very similar, but I believe there is a distinction that they don't make.

If I refuse something, I am expressing an unwillingness to accept it. There is an implication of intent behind it.

But if I reject something, I am simply not accepting it. It may be because some process has not been correctly followed. The rules say that it cannot be allowed, therefore it is rejected. (The reason for the rejection may or may not be my own refusal.)

Therefore, you can have several sentences that contain distinct meanings.

I want to give you this permit; unfortunately, as you do not meet the requirements, I have no choice but to reject your request.

I find your tone of voice offensive and I don't care if you've filled out the paperwork correctly or not—I refuse to process your request.

Based on this, I take refusal to be personal and rejection to be objective.

Answer 3

You could say "I was refused the position," but "I was refused" by itself sounds slightly awkward.

1. I applied for a job as a mechanic in a local garage, but I was rejected.
2. I applied for a job as a mechanic in a local garage, but I was refused the position.
3. I applied for a job as a mechanic in a local garage, but I was declined the position
4. I applied for a job as a mechanic in a local garage, but I was turned down.

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