gain·say
ˌɡānˈsā/
verb
formal
verb: gainsay; 3rd person present: gainsays; past tense: gainsaid; past participle: gainsaid; gerund or present participle: gainsaying
-
deny or contradict (a fact or statement).“the impact of the railroads cannot be gainsaid”
synonyms: deny, dispute, disagree with, argue with, dissent from, contradict, repudiate, challenge,oppose, contest, counter, controvert, rebut “it was difficult to gainsay his claim”antonyms: confirm -
speak against or oppose (someone).
-
Origin
Middle English: from obsolete gain- ‘against’ + say.
Leave a comment