GAINSAYING Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

gainsaying

verb

present participle of gainsay

as in denying

to declare not to be true it can't be gainsaid that most people wish they had more time and money

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in contradicting

to make an assertion that is contrary to one made by (another) repeatedly tried to gainsay me, though every point I made was backed up by facts

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gainsaying

Verb

His second confrontation is with an angry, judgmental version of Original Vision who accuses him of cowardice and inaction for denying his identity for so long.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026
At least twice a year, my doctor would be on the phone yelling at an insurance company for denying coverage.

— Mariska Breland, STAT, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of denying

Verb

The contradicting geological and orbital observations for Phobos and Deimos collected to date have prevented scientists from definitively establishing one hypothesis over the other.

— Josh Dinner, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026
His argument would have been laughable, if not for the fact that Black Americans were barred from giving testimony against white people in California’s courts and therefore from contradicting Smith’s account.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of contradicting

Verb

Idahoans were on track to keep the keys to the state’s drug policy Tuesday evening, with two-thirds of voters rejecting a measure that would take the future legalization of marijuana out of their hands.

— Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 3 Nov. 2026
Missouri voters approved a constitutional amendment strengthening the state’s most visible form of direct democracy, months after overwhelmingly rejecting a proposal that would weaken it.

— Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of rejecting

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

gainsay

gainsaying

gainsays

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Gainsaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gainsaying. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of gainsaying

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

quondam

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes