The word 拒绝 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a core idea to create the meaning "to refuse". The first character, 拒 (jù), incorporates the hand radical (扌) alongside the component 巨, which historically suggested blocking or withstanding, together conveying the physical act of pushing something away. The second character, 绝 (jué), combines the silk radical (纟) with 色, originally depicting the cutting of a silk thread, thus embodying the concept of severance or absolute termination. Their union fuses the imagery of physically blocking something with the finality of cutting it off, forming the complete concept of rejection.