Nearby Words
| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | disprove, refute |
| Synonyms: | blow sky high, break, bring to naught, confound, contradict, controvert, defeat, demolish, dismay, disprove, expose, invalidate, knocks props out from under, negate, oppugn, overcome, overthrow, overturn, overwhelm, parry, prove false, prove wrong, put down, rebut, set aside, shut up, silence, subvert, tap, upset, vanquish |
| Notes: | refute means 'to show conclusively to be false or illogical' and applies primarily to assertions or arguments; confute means 'to prove wrong' and applies primarily to the person or agency making the assertion or argument |
| Antonyms: | affirm, attest, confirm, endorse, prove, verify |
| Main Entry: | break |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | weaken, cause instability |
| Synonyms: | bankrupt, bust, confound, confute, controvert, cow, cripple, declass, degrade, demerit, demoralize, demote, disconfirm, dispirit, disprove, downgrade, enervate, enfeeble, humiliate, impair, impoverish, incapacitate, pauperize, rebut, reduce, refute, ruin, subdue, tame, undermine |
| Notes: | to brake is to slow or stop while break is to cause to separate into pieces suddenly or violently, smash or crack |
| Antonyms: | stabilize, strengthen |
| Main Entry: | confound |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | confuse |
| Synonyms: | abash, amaze, astonish, astound, baffle, befog, bewilder, blend, bug*, commingle, confute, discombobulate, discomfit, discountenance, dumbfound, embarrass, faze, fiddle, flabbergast, jumble, metagrobolize, misidentify, mix, mix up, mystify, nonplus, perplex, pose, puzzle, rattle, screw up, startle, surprise, throw* |
| Antonyms: | clarify, clear up, enlighten, explain, make clear, relate |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | controvert |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | oppose, argue |
| Synonyms: | break, challenge, confound, confute, contest, contradict, counter, debate, deny, disconfirm, discuss, disprove, dispute, oppugn, question, rebut, refute, wrangle |
| Antonyms: | agree, forbear, harmonize, make peace, restrain |
| Main Entry: | debate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | argue, discuss |
| Synonyms: | agitate, altercate, answer, bandy, bicker, bump heads, canvass, chew the fat, cogitate, confab, confute, consider, contend, contest, controvert, cross swords, deliberate, demonstrate, differ, discept, disprove, dispute, hammer away at, hash over, hassle, have at it, kick around, knock around, lock horns, moot, oppose, pettifog, pick a bone, prove, put up argument, question, reason, rebut, refute, rehash, set to, talk back, talk game, thrash out, toss around, wrangle |
| Antonyms: | agree, go along |
| Main Entry: | disprove |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | prove false |
| Synonyms: | belie, blow sky high, blow up, break, confound, confute, contradict, contravene, controvert, deny, disconfirm, discredit, explode, expose, find unfounded, impugn, invalidate, knock bottom out of, knock props out, negate, negative, overthrow, overturn, poke holes in, puncture, rebut, refute, set aside, shoot, shoot holes in, tear down, throw out, traverse, weaken |
| Antonyms: | credit, prove, validate |
| Main Entry: | dispute |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | argue |
| Synonyms: | agitate, altercate, bicker, brawl, bump heads, canvass, challenge, clash, confute, contend, contest, contradict, controvert, debate, deny, disaffirm, discept, discuss, disprove, doubt, gainsay, hassle, have at, impugn, jump on one's case, kick around, lock horns, moot, negate, pick a bone, quarrel, question, quibble, rebut, refute, squabble, take on, thrash out, toss around, wrangle |
| Antonyms: | agree, give in, go along |
| Main Entry: | explode |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | discredit |
| Synonyms: | belie, confute, debunk, deflate, discard, disprove, invalidate, puncture, refute, repudiate, shoot down, shoot full of holes |
| Notes: | explode is to blow up from a confined area outwards; implode means blow inwards, as a lightbulb does when it burns out |
| Antonyms: | prove |
| Main Entry: | rebut |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | argue against; prove wrong |
| Synonyms: | break, come back at, confound, confute, controvert, cross, defeat, deny, disconfirm, disprove, evert, fend off, get back at, hold off, invalidate, keep off, negate, negative, overturn, prove false, quash, refute, repel, repulse, stave off, take on, top, ward off |
| Notes: | to rebut a statement is to offer clear evidence or a reasoned argument against it; to refute a statement is to prove it wrong (neither means 'contradict' or 'deny') |
| Antonyms: | agree, approve, back down, concede |
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
