rĕfūto, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [root fu-; Gr. χυ-, χεϝω, χεῦμα; cf.: fundo, futtilis, Curt. Gr. Etym. p. 204 sq.], to check, drive back, repress.
I Lit.: semper illas nationes nostri imperatores refutandas potius bello quam lacessandas putaverunt, Cic. Prov. Cons. 13, 32.—
II Trop., to repel , repress , resist , restrain , oppose (freq. and class.; syn.: reicio, reprimo).
A In gen.: virtutem aspernari ac refutare, Cic. Rab. Post. 16, 44: refutetur ac reiciatur ille clamor, id. Tusc. 2, 33, 55: alicujus cupiditatem, id. Fam. 1, 9, 25: vitam, to contemn , Sall. Fragm. ap. Serv. ad Verg. G. 4, 218 (H. 1, 73 Dietsch); cf.: temporis munera, Quint. 10, 6, 6: alicujus libidinem, Cic. de Or. 3, 1, 4: nummum, Sol. 22 med. : ad mortem si te (Fors dicta refutet!) Prodiderim, may fate avert , Verg. A. 12, 41.—
B In partic., to repel , rebut any thing by speech, etc.; to confute , refute , disprove (syn.: refello, redarguo): res refutat id, Lucr. 2, 245; 2, 867: nemo te ita refutandum ut gravem adversarium arbitrabatur, Cic. Vatin. 1, 1: testes, id. Font. 1, 1: nostra confirmare argumentis ac rationibus, deinde contraria refutare, id. de Or. 2, 19, 80; so (opp. confirmare) Quint. 5, prooem. § 2: neque refutanda tantum, sed contemnenda, elevanda, ridenda sunt, id. 6, 4, 10: perjuria testimoniis, Cic. Font. 16, 35: oratio re multo magis quam verbis refutata, id. Imp. Pomp. 17, 52: infamiam pudicitiae posterae vitae castitate, Suet. Aug. 71: quos tum, ut pueri, refutare domesticis testibus solebamus, Cic. de Or. 2, 1, 2: a te refutentur, id. Fam. 9, 11, 2: tribunos oratione feroci, Liv. 2, 52 fin. — Poet., with object-clause : si quis corpus sentire refutat, denies , Lucr. 3, 350.