gainsay

[ geyn-sey, geyn-sey ]

/ ˈgeɪnˌseɪ, geɪnˈseɪ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR gainsay ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), gain·said, gain·say·ing.

to deny, dispute, or contradict.

to speak or act against; oppose.

Origin of gainsay

First recorded in 1250–1300, gainsay is from the Middle English word gainsaien. See again, say¹

OTHER WORDS FROM gainsay

gain·say·er, noun un·gain·said, adjective

Words nearby gainsay

gaingiving, gainings, gainless, gainly, gains, gainsay, gainsborough, gaiseric, gait, gaited, gaiter

Example sentences from the Web for gainsay

But it will be a cost, and it will be large -- nobody can gainsay that.

You Still Can't Wish Away the Facts on Immigration Amnesty |David Frum |May 13, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
As long as the United States was the economic primus inter pares, those arguments were hard to gainsay.

Obama's G-20 Misfire |Zachary Karabell |November 11, 2010 |DAILY BEAST
We may not gainsay the conclusion, but surely there are those who will linger and hesitate.

Beast and Man in India |John Lockwood Kipling
He shrugged his shoulders, unable apparently to gainsay this unanswerable argument.

A Bride of the Plains |Baroness Emmuska Orczy

That the appearance of a vegetable or animal species is due to specific causes, nobody will gainsay.

Creative Evolution |Henri Bergson
She's nine years old, and a heretic, like yer own darlin' self, and who's to gainsay ye from it?

Ravenshoe |Henry Kingsley
There are unreasoning prejudices in favour of one's own stomach which eloquence cannot gainsay.

Americans and Others |Agnes Repplier

British Dictionary definitions for gainsay

gainsay

/ (ɡeɪnˈseɪ) /

verb -says, -saying or -said

(tr) archaic, or literary to deny (an allegation, a statement, etc); contradict

Derived forms of gainsay

gainsayer, noun

Word Origin for gainsay

C13 gainsaien, from gain- against + saien to say 1

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

gainsay

verb (used with object), gain·said, gain·say·ing.

Origin of gainsay

OTHER WORDS FROM gainsay

Words nearby gainsay

Example sentences from the Web for gainsay

British Dictionary definitions for gainsay

verb -says, -saying or -said

Derived forms of gainsay

Word Origin for gainsay

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

gainsay

verb (used with object), gain·said, gain·say·ing.

Origin of gainsay

OTHER WORDS FROM gainsay

Words nearby gainsay

Words related to gainsay

Example sentences from the Web for gainsay

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for gainsay

verb -says, -saying or -said

Derived forms of gainsay

Word Origin for gainsay

British Dictionary definitions for gainsay