refuse和decline作動詞都有“拒絕”的意思。但refuse指堅決地拒絕，通常通過行動來表示或通過言辭來表達，語氣比decline強。decline指有禮貌的拒絕，婉言謝絕，通常是用言辭來表達。
refuse的用法
（1）She refused to go there alone.
她拒絕壹個人到那裏去。
（2）She asked him to come with her, but he refused.
她叫他壹起來，但是他拒絕了。
（3）He refused a second cup of coffee.
他謝絕了第二杯咖啡。
（4）The suggestion seems too good to refuse/turn down.
這個建議太好了，讓人難以拒絕。
decline的用法（1）My wife declined Mrs. Green's invitation to dinner.
我夫人謝絕了格林太太的晚宴邀請。
（2）Poor as he was, Mr. Brown declined a large sum of money from the charity.
布朗先生雖然很窮，卻謝絕了慈善團體的壹大筆捐款。
（2）We agreed to offer him a lift but he declined.
我們同意讓他搭車，但是他卻謝絕了。