Meaning

(transitive, formal) To say something in contradiction to..

Example Sentences

[…]vve are able with playne demonſtration to proue, and vvith reaſon to perſvvade that in tymes paſt our fayth vvas alike, that then vve preached thinges correſpondent vnto the forme of faith already publiſhed of vs, ſo that none in this behalfe can repyne or gayneſay vs.

The supreme court, therefore, may assume jurisdiction over subjects and between parties, not allowed by the constitution, and there is no power in the federal government to gainsay it.

So she had, cried Scrooge. You’re right. I will not gainsay it, Spirit. God forbid!

Know then that in the time of the Great Rebellion (the history of which by the learned Lord Clarendon I most earnestly commend to your attention) this Manor of Baskerville was held by Hugo of that name, nor can it be gainsaid that he was a most wild, profane, and godless man.

And there was something childlike about Griffith, too, even in his Matlock days, as a deceptively sharp 'simple country lawyer,' a big-kid boyishness that did not mask his intelligence or gainsay his authority.

Word Forms

• gainsays
• gainsaying
• gainsaid

Synonyms for gainsay

Related Words

When Should You Use Gainsay?

Use gainsay when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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