gainsay

• POS: Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: gain=say

CIDE DICTIONARY

gainsay, v. t. [OE. geinseien, ageinseien. See Again, and Say to utter.].

 To contradict; to deny; to controvert; to dispute; to forbid.  [1913 Webster]
"I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist."  [1913 Webster]
"The just gods gainsay
That any drop thou borrow'dst from thy mother,
My sacred aunt, should by my mortal sword
Be drained."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

gainsay, v.tr. (past and past part. gainsaid) archaic or literary deny, contradict.

Derivative

gainsayer n.

Etymology

ME f. obs. gain- against f. ON gegn straight f. Gmc + SAY

THESAURUS

gainsay

abjure, assert the contrary, be contrary to, belie, call into question, challenge, combat, contest, contradict, contravene, controvert, counter, cross, deny, disaffirm, disallow, disavow, disclaim, disown, disprove, dispute, fight, forswear, impugn, join issue upon, negate, negative, not accept, not admit, nullify, oppose, oppugn, rebut, recant, refuse to admit, refute, reject, renounce, repudiate, resist, retract, revoke, take back, take issue with, traverse, withstand

ROGET THESAURUS

gainsay

Negation

VB deny, contradict, contravene, controvert, give denial to, gainsay, negative, shake the head, disown, disaffirm, disclaim, disavow, recant, revoke, dispute, impugn, traverse, rebut, join issue upon, bring in question, call in question, give the lie in his throat, give one the lie in his throat, deny flatly, deny peremptorily, deny emphatically, deny absolutely, deny wholly, deny entirely, give the lie to, belie, repudiate, set aside, ignore, rebut, qualify, refuse, recuse.