gainsay
/gein'sei/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To deny, dispute, or contradict: To declare something to be untrue or invalid; to oppose or speak against a statement, claim, or person.
- To take exception to: To object to or challenge something.
Examples of Usage
- Verb:
- No one could gainsay the accuracy of the data she presented.
- He did not dare to gainsay his employer's decision.
- It is impossible to gainsay the fact that climate change is occurring.
Advanced Usage
- "To be beyond gainsay": To be undeniable or indisputable.
- The historical evidence for this event is beyond gainsay.
- "Without gainsay": Without contradiction or dispute.
- The motion was passed without gainsay.
Variants and Related Words
- Gainsayer (noun): A person who denies or contradicts.
- He was a persistent gainsayer of the new theory.
- Gainsaid (verb, past tense and past participle): The form used for the past.
- Her arguments were never gainsaid by her colleagues.
Synonyms
- Contradict: To state the opposite of a statement.
- Deny: To declare untrue.
- Dispute: To argue about or challenge.
- Oppose: To be against something.
- Challenge: To question the truth or validity.
Antonyms
- Agree: To have the same opinion.
- Affirm: To state as true.
- Confirm: To establish the truth of something.
- Support: To agree with and encourage.
Notes on Usage
- The word gainsay is considered formal and somewhat literary. It is not commonly used in everyday casual conversation.
- It is a transitive verb, meaning it requires a direct object (e.g., gainsay a , gainsay the ).
- The past tense and past participle form is gainsaid.
Verb
- take exception to
- She challenged his claims