gainsaid
ˌgān-ˈsād
-ˈsed
; gainsaying
ˌgān-ˈsā-iŋ
; gainsays
ˌgān-ˈsāz
-ˈsez
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.” (The familiar verb gain comes from Anglo-French and is unrelated.) 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.”
Cite this Entry
“Gainsay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gainsay. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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