April 04, 2008
Tuesday, 1st April 2008 : Today's Word is ...
Impugn
Past and past participle : impugned
Present participle : impugning
3rd person present singular : impugns
Pronunciation : im-pyoon
1. to suggest that something cannot be trusted, relied on, or respected
2. to attack as false or questionable
3. challenge in argument
4. attack as false or wrong
14th century - Latin impugnare - fight against - pugnare - to fight - pugnus - fist
assail, attack, blast, break, challenge, contradict, contravene, cross, deny, disaffirm, dispute, gainsay, knock, lay out, negate, negative, oppose, put down, question, rap, resist, run down, skin alive, slam, smear, swipe at, tar, traduce, trash, traverse, zap, zing
flatter, praise, support
• Do not let any one impugn this statement with the trite proverb that "He who builds on the people, builds on the mud".
• We decided to impugn our political opponent's record
• impugner : Noun
• impugnment : Noun
• impugnability : Noun
• impugnable : Adjective