impeach

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: im=peach

CIDE DICTIONARY

impeach, v. t. [OE. empeechier to prevent, hinder, bar, F. empêcher, L. impedicare to entangle; pref. im- in + pedica fetter, fr. pes, pedis, foot. See Foot, and Appeach, Dispatch, Impede.].

•  To hinder; to impede; to prevent.  [1913 Webster]

  "These ungracious practices of his sons did impeach his journey to the Holy Land."  [1913 Webster]

  "A defluxion on my throat impeached my utterance."  [1913 Webster]
•  To charge with a crime or misdemeanor; to accuse; especially to charge (a public officer), before a competent tribunal, with misbehavior in office; to cite before a tribunal for judgment of official misconduct; to arraign; as, to impeach a judge. See Impeachment.  [1913 Webster]
•  Hence, to charge with impropriety; to dishonor; to bring discredit on; to call in question; as, to impeach one's motives or conduct.  [1913 Webster]

  "And doth impeach the freedom of the state."  [1913 Webster]
•  To challenge or discredit the credibility of, as of a witness, or the validity of, as of commercial paper.  [1913 Webster]

  " When used in law with reference to a witness, the term signifies, to discredit, to show or prove unreliable or unworthy of belief; when used in reference to the credit of witness, the term denotes, to impair, to lessen, to disparage, to destroy. The credit of a witness may be impeached by showing that he has made statements out of court contradictory to what he swears at the trial, or by showing that his reputation for veracity is bad, etc."

Syn. -- To accuse; arraign; censure; criminate; indict; impair; disparage; discredit. See Accuse.

impeach, n. 

 Hindrance; impeachment.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

impeach, v.tr.
1 Brit. charge with a crime against the State, esp. treason.
2 US charge (the holder of a public office) with misconduct.
3 call in question, disparage (a person's integrity etc.).

Derivative

impeachable adj. impeachment n.

Etymology

ME f. OF empecher impede f. LL impedicare entangle (as IN-(2), pedica fetter f. pes pedis foot)

THESAURUS

impeach

accuse, allege, anathematize, anathemize, animadvert on, arraign, article, asperse, attack, belittle, blame, book, bring accusation, bring charges, bring to book, call into question, call to account, cast aspersions on, cast blame upon, cast reflection upon, censure, challenge, charge, cite, complain, complain against, condemn, criminate, cry down, cry out against, cry out on, cry shame upon, damn, declaim, decry, denounce, denunciate, deprecate, discredit, disparage, fasten on, fasten upon, file a claim, finger, fulminate against, hang something on, have up, implicate, imply, impugn, impute, incriminate, inculpate, indict, inform against, inform on, insinuate, inveigh against, lay charges, lodge a complaint, lodge a plaint, malign, pin on, prefer charges, press charges, pull up, put on report, reflect upon, report, reprehend, reproach, reprobate, shake up, slander, take to task, task, taunt with, tax, twit, vilify

ROGET THESAURUS

impeach

Lawsuit

VB go to law, appeal to the law, bring to justice, bring to trial, bring to the bar, put on trial, pull up, accuse, prefer a claim, file a claim, take the law of, inform against, serve with a writ, cite, apprehend, arraign, sue, prosecute, bring an action against, indict, impeach, attach, distrain, commit, arrest, summon, summons, give in charge, empanel a jury, implead, join issue, close the pleadings, set down for hearing, try, hear a cause, sit in judgment, adjudicate.

Disapprobation

VB disapprove, dislike, lament, object to, take exception to, be scandalized at, think ill of, view with disfavor, view with dark eyes, view with jaundiced eyes, nil admirari, disvalue, improbate, frown upon, look grave, bend the brows, knit the brows, shake the head at, shrug the shoulders, turn up the nose, look askance, look black upon, look with an evil eye, make a wry face, make a wry mouth at, set one's face against, dispraise, discommend, disparage, deprecate, speak ill of, not speak well of, condemn, blame, lay blame upon, cast blame upon, censure, fronder, reproach, pass censure on, reprobate, impugn, remonstrate, expostulate, recriminate, reprehend, chide, admonish, berate, betongue, bring to account, call to account, call over the coals, rake over the coals, call to order, take to task, reprove, lecture, bring to book, read a lesson, read a lecture to, rebuke, correct, reprimand, chastise, castigate, lash, blow up, trounce, trim, laver la tete, overhaul, give it one, give it one finely, gibbet, accuse, impeach, denounce, hold up to reprobation, hold up to execration, expose, brand, gibbet, stigmatize, show up, pull up, take up, cry 'shame' upon, be outspoken, raise a hue and cry against, execrate, exprobate, speak daggers, vituperate, abuse, abuse like a pickpocket, scold, rate, objurgate, upbraid, fall foul of, jaw, rail, rail at, rail in good set terms, bark at, anathematize, call names, call by hard names, call by ugly names, avile, revile, vilify, vilipend, bespatter, backbite, clapperclaw, rave against, thunder against, fulminate against, load with reproaches, exclaim against, protest against, inveigh against, declaim against, cry out against, raise one's voice against, decry, cry down, run down, frown down, clamor, hiss, hoot, mob, ostracize, blacklist, draw up a round robin, sign a round robin, animadvert upon, reflect upon, glance at, cast reflection, cast reproach, cast a slur upon, insinuate, damn with faint praise, hint a fault and hesitate dislike, not to be able to say much for, scoff at, point at, twit, taunt, sneer at, satirize, lampoon, defame, depreciate, find fault with, criticize, cut up, pull to pieces, pick to pieces, take exception, cavil, peck at, nibble at, carp at, be censorious, pick holes, pick a hole, pick a hole in one's coat, make a fuss about, take down, take down a peg, set down, snub, snap one up, give a rap on the knuckles, throw a stone at, throw a stone in one's garden, have a fling, have a snap at, have words with, pluck a crow with, give one a wipe, give one a lick with the rough side of the tongue, incur blame, excite disapprobation, scandalize, shock, revolt, get a bad name, forfeit one's good opinion, be under a cloud, come under the ferule, bring a hornet's nest about one's ears, take blame, stand corrected, have to answer for.

Accusation

VB accuse, charge, tax, impute, twit, taunt with, reproach, brand with reproach, stigmatize, slur, cast a stone at, cast a slur on, incriminate, criminate, inculpate, implicate, call to account, take to blame, take to task, put in the black book, inform against, indict, denounce, arraign, impeach, appeach, have up, show up, pull up, challenge, cite, lodge a complaint, prosecute, bring an action against, blow upon, charge with, saddle with, lay to one's door, lay charge, lay the blame on, bring home to, cast in one's teeth, throw in one's teeth, cast the first stone at, have a rod in pickle for, keep a rod in pickle for, have a crow to pluck with, trump up a charge.