A.“-ήσομαι” A.Pr.268, Ar.Ec.365; also “ἀρνηθήσομαι” S.Ph.527 (ἀπ-), Ev.Luc.12.9: aor. Pass. ἠρνήθην freq. in Att., Th. 6.60, etc.: also aor. Med. “ἠρνησάμην” Hom. (v. infr.), Hdt.3.1; rare in Trag. and Att., E.Ion1026, Aeschin.2.69,3.324: pf. “ἤρνημαι” D. 28.24:—deny, disown, “τεὸν ἔπος ἀρνήσασθαι” Il.14.212, Od.8.358, etc.; “ἀ. ἀμφὶ βόεσσιν” h.Merc.390; “ἀ. ἃ εἶπον” E.Hec.303: abs., Hdt.2.174; ἀρνούμενοι ἔπαινοι negative praises, Plu.2.58a.
2. refuse, “τόξον . . δόμεναί τε καὶ ἀρνήσασθαι” Od.21.345, cf. Hes.Op.408, Hdt.3.1; “ἀ. γάμον” Od.1.249; ἀ. χρείαν decline, renounce a duty or office, D.18.282; “διαθήκην” Id.36.34; “κληρονομίαν” PFlor.61.49 (i A.D.); ζωὰν ἀ., of a suicide, AP7.473 (Aristodic.); “δυνάμει τὸν βίον ἀ.” S.E.M.11.163; ἀ. ἀνθρώπους cast aside humanity, Him.Or.2.10.
3. abs., say No, decline, “ὁ δ᾽ ἠρνεῖτο στεναχίζων” Il.19.304; “αὐτὰρ ὅ γ᾽ ἠρνεῖτο στερεῶς” 23.42, etc.