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gain·say

(gān-sā, gānsā′)

tr.v. gain·said (-sād, -sĕd), gain·say·ing, gain·says (-sāz, -sĕz)

1. To declare to be false; deny. See Synonyms at deny.

2. To oppose (someone), especially by contradiction: "She was going to fashion the end of her existence in her own way, and in this determination she would not be gainsaid" (Louis Auchincloss).

[Middle English gainsayen : gain-, against (from Old English gegn-) + sayen, to say (from Old English secgan; see SAY).]

gain·sayer n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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