gainsay

verb

gain·​say ˌgān-ˈsā 

gainsaid ˌgān-ˈsād 

-ˈsed

; gainsaying ˌgān-ˈsā-iŋ  ; gainsays ˌgān-ˈsāz 

-ˈsez

transitive verb

1

: to declare to be untrue or invalid

2

: contradict, oppose

did not dare to gainsay the king

gainsayer noun

Did you know?

You might have trouble figuring out the meaning of gainsay if you’re thinking of our modern word gain plus say. It should help to know that the gain part comes to us from the Old English word gēan-, meaning “against” or “in opposition to.” In Middle English, gēan- was joined to seyen (“to say”) to form gein-seyen, which led to the modern word gainsay. So when you see gainsay, think “to say against”—that is, “to deny” or “to contradict.”

Synonyms of gainsay

• deny
• refute
• reject

Choose the Right Synonym for gainsay

deny, gainsay, contradict, contravene mean to refuse to accept as true or valid.

deny implies a firm refusal to accept as true, to grant or concede, or to acknowledge the existence or claims of.

denied the charges

gainsay implies disputing the truth of what another has said.

no one can gainsay her claims

contradict implies an open or flat denial.

her account contradicts his

contravene implies not so much an intentional opposition as some inherent incompatibility.

laws that contravene tradition

Examples of gainsay in a Sentence

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

repeatedly tried to gainsay me, though every point I made was backed up by facts

Recent Examples on the Web

Siegel has an eye for the telling detail, the stubborn fact that gainsays the scene before us. —Tom McDonough, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2025

Summer will soon arrive, the skies are sunny and the fields are green; and if a person wants to bet, nobody should gainsay that choice (through regulations, at least). —David B. McGarry, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2025

Within these rules, the CFPB cannot be gainsaid by anyone — not Congress, the Fed or the president. —Stephen L. Carter, The Mercury News, 23 May 2024

It cannot be gainsaid that Biden cooperated and Trump obstructed. —Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 2 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English yein seyen, gein-seyen "to speak in opposition to, deny," from yein-, gein- "away, back, against, in opposition to" (going back to Old English gēan- "in opposition to," or marking returning or reciprocal action, going back to Germanic *gagna-) + seyen "to say entry 1" — more at again

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for gainsay

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway
• beret

Kids Definition

gainsay

verb

gain·​say gān-ˈsā 

gainsaid -ˈsād 

-ˈsed

; gainsaying -ˈsā-iŋ 

1

: to declare untrue : deny

2

: to speak against : contradict

gainsayer noun