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Word Study
argue
CIDE DICTIONARY
argue, v. i. [OE. arguen, F. arguer, fr. L. argutare, freq. of arguere to make clear; from the same root as E. argent.].
- To invent and offer reasons to support or overthrow a proposition, opinion, or measure; to use arguments; to reason. [1913 Webster]"I argue not
Against Heaven's hand or will." [1913 Webster] - To contend in argument; to dispute; to reason; -- followed by with; as, you may argue with your friend without convincing him. [1913 Webster]
argue, v. t.
- To debate or discuss; to treat by reasoning; as, the counsel argued the cause before a full court; the cause was well argued. [1913 Webster]
- To prove or evince; too manifest or exhibit by inference, deduction, or reasoning. [1913 Webster]"So many laws argue so many sins." [1913 Webster]
- To persuade by reasons; as, to argue a man into a different opinion. [1913 Webster]
- To blame; to accuse; to charge with. [1913 Webster]"Thoughts and expressions . . . which can be truly argued of obscenity, profaneness, or immorality." [1913 Webster]"Men of many words sometimes argue for the sake of talking; men of ready tongues frequently dispute for the sake of victory; men in public life often debate for the sake of opposing the ruling party, or from any other motive than the love of truth." [1913 Webster]"Unskilled to argue, in dispute yet loud,
Bold without caution, without honors proud." [1913 Webster]"Betwixt the dearest friends to raise debate." [1913 Webster]
Syn. -- to reason; evince; discuss; debate; expostulate; remonstrate; controvert.
OXFORD DICTIONARY
argue, v. (argues, argued, arguing)
1 intr. (often foll. by with, about, etc.) exchange views or opinions, especially heatedly or contentiously (with a person).
2 tr. & intr. (often foll. by that + clause) indicate; maintain by reasoning.
3 intr. (foll. by for, against) reason (argued against joining).
4 tr. treat by reasoning (argue the point).
5 tr. (foll. by into, out of) persuade (argued me into going).
1 intr. (often foll. by with, about, etc.) exchange views or opinions, especially heatedly or contentiously (with a person).
2 tr. & intr. (often foll. by that + clause) indicate; maintain by reasoning.
3 intr. (foll. by for, against) reason (argued against joining).
4 tr. treat by reasoning (argue the point).
5 tr. (foll. by into, out of) persuade (argued me into going).
Idiom
argue the toss colloq. dispute a decision or choice already made.
Derivative
arguer n.
Etymology
ME f. OF arguer f. L argutari prattle, frequent. of arguere make clear, prove, accuse
THESAURUS
argue
affirm, agitate, allege, altercate, analyze, announce, annunciate, approve, argufy, assert, assever, asseverate, attest, aver, avouch, avow, balk, bandy words, be construed as, be indicative of, be significant of, be symptomatic of, bespeak, betoken, bicker, breathe, canvass, cavil, characterize, choplogic, claim, clash, conflict, connote, contend, contest, convince, cross swords, cut and thrust, debate, declare, defend, demonstrate, demur, denominate, denote, differ, differentiate, disaccord, disagree, discept, disclose, discuss, display, dispute, dissent, dissuade, entail, enunciate, establish, evidence, evince, exhibit, expostulate, express, fight, furnish evidence, give and take, give evidence, give indication of, give token, go to show, hassle, have, have it out, highlight, hint, hold, identify, illustrate, imply, import, indicate, insist, investigate, involve, issue a manifesto, jib, join issue, justify, lay down, lock horns, logomachize, maintain, manifest, manifesto, mark, mean, moot, note, object, persuade, pettifog, plead, point to, polemicize, polemize, predicate, prevail upon, proclaim, profess, pronounce, protest, prove, put, put it, quarrel, quibble, reason, refer to, remonstrate, reveal, review, row, say, scrap, set down, set forth, show, show signs of, sift, signalize, signify, spar, speak, speak for itself, speak out, speak up, speak volumes, spell, squabble, stand for, stand on, state, study, submit, suggest, symbolize, symptomatize, symptomize, take sides, talk, talk out of, tell, tend to show, testify, thrash out, try conclusions, ventilate, vindicate, warrant, witness, wrangleROGET THESAURUS
argue
Evidence
VB be evidence, evince, show, betoken, tell of, indicate, imply, involve, argue, bespeak, breathe, have weight, carry weight, tell, speak volumes, speak for itself, rest upon, depend upon, repose on, bear witness, give evidence, testify, depose, witness, vouch for, sign, seal, undersign, set one's hand and seal, sign and seal, deliver as one's act and deed, certify, attest, acknowledge, make absolute, confirm, prove (demonstrate), indorse, countersign, corroborate, support, ratify, bear out, uphold, warrant, adduce, attest, cite, quote, refer to, appeal to, call, call to witness, bring forward, bring into court, allege, plead, produce witnesses, confront witnesses, place into evidence, mark into evidence, collect evidence, bring together evidence, rake up evidence, experiment, have a case, make out a case, establish, authenticate, substantiate, verify, make good, quote chapter and verse, bring home to, bring to book.Reasoning,
VB reason, argue, discuss, debate, dispute, wrangle, argufy, bandy words, bandy arguments, chop logic, hold an argument, carry on an argument, controvert, canvass, comment upon, moralize upon, spiritualize, consider, open a discussion, open a case, try conclusions, join issue, be at issue, moot, come to the point, stir a question, agitate a question, ventilate a question, torture a question, take up a side, take up a case, contend, take one's stand upon, insist, lay stress on, infer, follow from.Indication
VB indicate, be the sign, of, denote, betoken, argue, testify, bear the impress, of, connote, connotate, represent, stand for, typify, symbolize, put an indication, put a mark, note, mark, stamp, earmark, blaze, label, ticket, docket, dot, spot, score, dash, trace, chalk, print, imprint, impress, engrave, stereotype, make a sign, signalize, underscore, give a signal, hang out a signal, beckon, nod, wink, glance, leer, nudge, shrug, tip the wink, gesticulate, raise the finger, hold up the finger, raise the hand, hold up the hand, saw the air, suit the action to the word, wave a banner, unfurl a banner, hoist a banner, hang out a banner, wave the hand, wave a kerchief, give the cue, show one's colors, give an alarm, sound an alarm, beat the drum, sound the trumpets, raise a cry, sign, seal, attest, underline, call attention to, give notice.Also see definition of "argue" in Bible Study Dictionaries
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