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gainsay

verb
gain·​say | \ ˌgān-ˈsā How to pronounce gainsay (audio) \
gainsaid\ ˌgān-​ˈsād How to pronounce gainsaid (audio) , -​ˈsed \; gainsaying\ ˌgān-​ˈsā-​iŋ How to pronounce gainsaying (audio) \; gainsays\ ˌgān-​ˈsāz How to pronounce gainsays (audio) , -​ˈsez \

Definition of gainsay

transitive verb

1 : to declare to be untrue or invalid
2 : contradict, oppose did not dare to gainsay the king
Other Words from gainsay Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about gainsay

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Other Words from gainsay

gainsayer noun

Choose the Right Synonym for gainsay

deny, gainsay, contradict, contravene mean to refuse to accept as true or valid. deny implies a firm refusal to accept as true, to grant or concede, or to acknowledge the existence or claims of. denied the charges gainsay implies disputing the truth of what another has said. no one can gainsay her claims contradict implies an open or flat denial. her account contradicts his contravene implies not so much an intentional opposition as some inherent incompatibility. laws that contravene tradition

Did You Know?

You might have trouble figuring out "gainsay" if you're thinking of our modern "gain" plus "say." It might help to know that the "gain-" part is actually related to "against." In Old English, gēan- meant "against." From that came the Middle English "gain-." "Gain-" was joined with "sayen" ("say") to form "gainsayen," the Middle English predecessor of "gainsay." So when you see "gainsay," think "say against" - that is, "deny" or "contradict." When you do happen to come across "gainsay," it's likely to be in literature. "Gainsay" is a literary, somewhat old-fashioned word that isn't heard much in everyday modern speech.

Examples of gainsay in a Sentence

it can't be gainsaid that most people wish they had more time and money repeatedly tried to gainsay me, though every point I made was backed up by facts

Recent Examples on the Web

 Her role in passing the Affordable Care Act was absolutely heroic and should not be gainsaid. — Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, "The Pelosi-Versus-Squad Paradigm," 18 July 2019 Yet a fluent, pacy new translation by Michael Hofmann gainsays that assumption, opening up the book for English-speakers. — The Economist, "The real resonances, and warnings, of Weimar Germany," 8 Mar. 2018 Tales of blood pacts over steaming entrails, after all, make for exciting reading, especially when no one can gainsay them. — James Romm, WSJ, "The Scourge of Rome," 7 July 2017 In any case, the legal uncertainty doesn’t gainsay Judge Snow’s charge that Mr. Arpaio lied to him and judicially appointed monitors. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "The Arpaio Pardon," 27 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gainsay.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of gainsay

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for gainsay

Middle English yein seyen, gein-seyen "to speak in opposition to, deny," from yein-, gein- "away, back, against, in opposition to" (going back to Old English gēan- "in opposition to," or marking returning or reciprocal action, going back to Germanic *gagna-) + seyen "to say entry 1" — more at again

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More Definitions for gainsay

gainsay

verb
How to pronounce gainsay (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of gainsay

formal : to deny or disagree with (something) : to show or say that (something) is not true

See the full definition for gainsay in the English Language Learners Dictionary

More from Merriam-Webster on gainsay

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with gainsay

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for gainsay

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