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

Her husband, Conor, has gone on the record denying any involvement in her death.

— Kelsie Cairns , Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
The latter predicts a single universe by denying the universal validity of Schrödinger’s equation.

— Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of denying

Verb

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
Granted, this morning, Mercury in Scorpio will meet with Saturn retrograde in an awkward quincunx, which can be quite the contradicting aspect, as if the two planets in contact didn’t speak the same language.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of contradicting

Verb

While refuting any suggestion of police repression, Lecornu condemned violence on the margins of protests, which were mostly peaceful Tuesday, despite the dramatic scenes that dominated coverage.

— Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026
However, in July, Wayne released a message refuting reports of an engagement, referring to a relationship with someone in the past tense, albeit without mentioning them by name.

— Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of refuting

Verb

Alvarez said that rejecting Amendment 2 means rejecting the small farmer who can’t keep cows in the field.

— Romy Ellenbogen Herald, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
Stewart was an executive producer of his friend Colbert’s show and harshly criticized the cancellation, rejecting Paramount’s financial justification and accusing the company of bending the knee to the president.

— Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 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 23 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of gainsaying

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

asunder

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

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

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes