Merriam-Webster Word of the day - Gainsay

WORD OF THE DAY January 7, 2018

gainsay    verb | gayn-SAY     Definition   1 : to declare to be untrue or invalid   2 : contradict, oppose   Scroll down for more about gainsay       WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE   Pass the Little Ribbons: A Pasta Word Quiz   Match the pasta with its meaning in Italian.     PLAY NOW     Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try!  TAKE ME THERE     Plus:   SEE WHAT LOOKUPS ARE TRENDING NOW!         Did You Know?   You might have trouble figuring out gainsay if you're thinking of our modern gain plus say. It should help to know that the gain- part is actually related to against—specifically the Old English prefix gēan- ("against, in opposition to"). From that came Middle English gain-, which was joined with sayen ("to say") to form gainsayen, the Middle English predecessor of gainsay. So when you see gainsay, think "to say against"—that is, "to deny" or "to contradict."     Examples of GAINSAY   There is no doubt that their work makes a useful contribution, but it does not provide enough evidence to gainsay the conclusions of earlier scholars.   "There is no gainsaying the fact that we have an obesity problem in the United States." — Amitrajeet A. Batabyal, The Buffalo News, 9 Dec. 2015   Name That Synonym   Fill in the blanks to complete a synonym of gainsay: r _ _ ud _ a _ e.   VIEW THE ANSWER           ASK THE EDITOR     Is it wrong to use 'decimate' to mean 'destroy'?   Language changes   WATCH THE VIDEO NOW

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