- gainsay
- gain|say [ ,geın`seı ] verb transitive FORMALto say that someone is wrong or that something is not true: DENY:You may not have liked her, but no one could gainsay her determination.
Usage of the words and phrases in modern English. 2013.
Usage of the words and phrases in modern English. 2013.
Gainsay — Gain say (? or ?; 277), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Gainsaid} (? or ?); p. pr. & vb. n. {Gainsaying}.] [OE. geinseien, ageinseien. See {Again}, and {Say} to utter.] To contradict; to deny; to controvert; to dispute; to forbid. [1913 Webster] I will give … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
gainsay — I verb act against, be contrary, conflict with, contest, contradict, contravene, controvert, counter, deny, disaffirm, disagree, disallow, disavow, disclaim, dispute, dissent, forbid, impugn, negate, oppose, oppugn, protest, rebut, refuse to… … Law dictionary
gainsay — (v.) contradict, c.1300, lit. say against, from O.E. gegn against (see AGAIN (Cf. again)) + SAY (Cf. say). Solitary survival of a once common prefix [Weekley], which was used to form such now obsolete compounds as gain taking taking back again,… … Etymology dictionary
gainsay — *deny, contradict, impugn, contravene, negative, traverse Analogous words: controvert, refute, confute, *disprove: oppose, combat, *resist, withstand, fight Antonyms: admit (sense 2) Contrasted words: *grant, concede, allow … New Dictionary of Synonyms
gainsay — [v] contradict combat, contravene, controvert, cross, deny, disaffirm, disagree, disclaim, disprove, dispute, fight, impugn, negate, negative, oppose, refute, repudiate, resist, traverse, withstand; concepts 52,54 Ant. agree, concur, go along … New thesaurus
gainsay — ► VERB (past and past part. gainsaid) formal ▪ deny or contradict; speak against. DERIVATIVES gainsayer noun. ORIGIN from obsolete gain against + SAY(Cf. ↑sayer) … English terms dictionary
gainsay — [gān΄sā′, gān′sā΄] vt. gainsaid [gān΄sed′] gainsaying [ME geinseggen < gein < OE gegn, against (see AGAIN) + secgan (see SAY)] 1. to deny 2. to contradict 3. to speak or act against; oppose … English World dictionary
gainsay — UK [ˌɡeɪnˈseɪ] / US verb [transitive] Word forms gainsay : present tense I/you/we/they gainsay he/she/it gainsays present participle gainsaying past tense gainsaid past participle gainsaid formal to say that someone is wrong or that something is… … English dictionary
gainsay — gain|say [ˌgeınˈseı] v past tense and past participle gainsaid [ ˈsed] [T usually in negatives] formal [Date: 1300 1400; Origin: gain against (13 16 centuries) (from Old English gegn) + say] to say that something is not true, or to disagree with… … Dictionary of contemporary English
gainsay — [[t]ge͟ɪnse͟ɪ[/t]] gainsays, gainsaying, gainsaid VERB: with brd neg If there is no gainsaying something, it is true or obvious and everyone would agree with it. [FORMAL] [V n] However much people have criticised her style and some of her… … English dictionary