was wotd|2006|April|27
English
Etymology
From L. impugnare, from in- + pugnare "to fight".
Pronunciation
audio|en-us-impugn.ogg|Audio (US)
IPA|/ɪm'pju:n/
Verb
en-verb
- context|transitive|obsolete To assault, attack.
- transitive To verbally assault, especially to argue against an opinion, motive, or action; to question the truth or validity of.
Quotations
timeline|
1800s=1859 1864 1872 1889|
1900s=1922
1859 � w:John Stuart Mill|John Stuart Mill, s:On Liberty|On Liberty
:Let the opinions impugned be the belief in a God and in a future state, or any of the commonly received doctrines of morality.
1864 � w:Abraham Lincoln|Abraham Lincoln, s:Abraham Lincoln's Fourth State of the Union Address|Fourth State of the Union Address
:There have been much impugning of motives and much heated controversy as to the proper means and best mode of advancing the Union cause.
1872 � w:Benjamin Disraeli|Benjamin Disraeli, s:Conservative Principles|Conservative Principles
:At home, at a period of immense prosperity, with a people contented and naturally loyal, we find to our surprise the most extravagant doctrines professed and the fundamental principles of our most valuable institutions impugned, and that too by persons of some authority.
1889 � w:Mark Twain|Mark Twain, s:A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court|A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, ch. xxv
:It is a hardy question, fair sir and Boss, since it doth go far to impugn the wisdom of even our holy Mother Church herself.
1922 � w:Edgar Rice Burroughs|Edgar Rice Burroughs, s:The Chessmen of Mars|The Chessmen of Mars, ch. 21
:He is not dead. When he revives he will return to his quarters with a fine tale of his bravery and there will be none to impugn his boasts.
Synonyms
(question the validity of): call in question, challenge, contest, contradict, deny, disavow, dispute, oppugn, negate
Antonyms
(question the validity of): authenticate, endorse, support
Translations
trans-top|To assault, attack
trans-mid
trans-bottom
trans-top|To verbally assault, especially to argue against an opinion, motive, or action
Finnish: kyseenalaistaa
trans-mid
trans-bottom
Related terms
impugner
Translations
trans-top|question the validity of
French: contester
German: angreifen, in Zweifel ziehen
trans-mid
Russian: о�па�ива��, подве�га�� �омнени�
Spanish: impugnar
trans-bottom
fa:impugn
io:impugn
te:impugn
vi:impugn
zh:impugn
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