Refute

Definitions: Refute

Refute

Verb

1. Overthrow by argument, evidence, or proof; "The speaker refuted his opponent's arguments".

2. Prove to be false or incorrect.

Date "refute" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1321. (references)

Synonyms: Refute

Synonyms: controvert (v), rebut (v). (additional references)

Context	Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus).
Confutation	Verb: confute, refute, disprove; parry, negative, controvert, rebut, confound, disconfirm, redargue, expose, show the fallacy of, defeat; demolish, break; (destroy); overthrow, overturn scatter to the winds, explode, invalidate; silence; put to silence, reduce to silence; clinch an argument, clinch a question; give one a setdown, stop the mouth, shut up; have, have on the hip.
Evidence	Verb: countervail, oppose; mitigate against; rebut; (refute); subvert; (destroy); cheek, weaken; contravene; contradict; (deny); tell the other side of the story, tell another story, turn the scale, alter the case; turn the tables; cut both ways; prove a negative.
Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus.

Crosswords: Refute

English words defined with "refute": Elenctical, explode ♦ Redargue, Refel, Refutatory, Refuted, Refuting, Revince ♦ To live down. (references)

Specialty definitions using "refute": Controversy ♦ Justice ♦ liar paradox. (references)

Domain

Usage

Screenplays

We're gonna teach them wrong from right, we're gonna help them see the light, we're gonna make an offer that they can't refute. Confess, don't be boring, say yes, don't be dull, a fact you're ignoring, it's better to lose your skull cap than your skull. (History of the World Part 1; writing credit: Mel Brooks)

It smells like a house of Ill Refute. (All in the Family; writing credit: Johnny Speight; Norman Lear)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Domain	Title
Books	You Take Jesus, I'll Take God: How to Refute Christian Missionaries (reference) (more book examples)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Author	Quotation
Charles Dickens	We can refute assertions, but who can refute silence?
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Subject	Topic	Quote
Civil Liberties	Algeria	Ababsah was charged for an article that she wrote attempting to refute charges that Mahmoudi had made against the owner of L'Authentique, retired General Mohammed Betchine. (references)
Economic History	India	They must finesse to assure success on both these fronts; must be prepared to furnish substantial information; and patiently refute misleading allegations. (references)
Human Rights	Belarus	The Lukashenka regime did nothing to refute these reports. (references)
Lexicography	Devil's Dictionary	CONTROVERSY, n. A battle in which spittle or ink replaces the injurious cannon-ball and the inconsiderate bayonet. In controversy with the facile tongue -- That bloodless warfare of the old and young -- So seek your adversary to engage That on himself he shall exhaust his rage, And, like a snake that's fastened to the ground, With his own fangs inflict the fatal wound. You ask me how this miracle is done? Adopt his own opinions, one by one, And taunt him to refute them; in his wrath He'll sweep them pitilessly from his path. Advance then gently all you wish to prove, Each proposition prefaced with, "As you've So well remarked," or, "As you wisely say, And I cannot dispute," or, "By the way, This view of it which, better far expressed, Runs through your argument." Then leave the rest To him, secure that he'll perform his trust And prove your views intelligent and just. Conmore Apel Brune
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

"Refute" is generally used as a lexical verb (infinitive) -- approximately 82.32% of the time. "Refute" is used about 164 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted)

Parts of Speech	Percent	Usage per 100 Million Words	Rank in English
Lexical Verb (infinitive)	82.32%	135	27,360
Lexical Verb (base form)	17.07%	28	65,706
Noun (singular)	0.61%	1	339,140
Total	100.00%	164	N/A

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.

Language		Translations for "refute"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.
Albanian		përgënjeshtroj (confute, disprove, knock out, retort), hedh poshtë (censure, confute, contradict, controvert, decline, demolish, detrude, disclaim, disprove, dispute, knock out, push aside, rebut, reject, repudiate, sweep away, turn down, wave aside). (various references)

Arabic		‏فند (confute, controvert, disprove, impugn, oppugn, rebut), ‏دحض (break, confute, demolish, disclaim, disproof, disprove, falsification, falsify, negative, objection, rebut, rebuttal, refutation, squash). (various references)

Bulgarian		отхвърлям (abnegate, avoid, cast away, cast down, challenge, decline, demur, deny, disallow, disclaim, dismiss, except, exclude, fling away, ignore, kiss off, negative, override, proscribe, rebuff, rebut, refuse, renounce, repudiate, scout, set aside, throw back, throw down, throw off, throw out, toss away, toss over, vote down, wash out, wave aside), оборвам (controvert, explode, meet, rebut, repulse), опровергавам (belie, confute, contradict, deflate, deny, disprove, impugn, negative, overturn, rebut), доказвам невярността на. (various references)

Chinese		辯駁 (dispute), 駁斥 (denounce, deny), 駁�' (demolish sb's argument, out-argue), 駁 (argue, contradict, dispute, parti-colored, tranship), 反驳 (Disaffirm, Disprove, Disproved, Disproving, rebut, Rebutted, Rebutting, Refuted, Refuting). (various references)

Czech		vyvrátit (confute, dispel, disprove, explode, falsify, rebut), překonat (beat, better, bridge, clear, conquer, eclipse, exceed, Excel, get the better of, go beyond, heal, outdo, overcome, surmount, surpass, tide over). (various references)

Dutch		weerleggen (disproving), ontzenuwen. (various references)

Esperanto		refuti. (various references)

Faeroese		mótprógva. (various references)

Farsi		تکذیب کردن (Deny, Impugn), اشتباه کسی رااثبات کردن , ردکردن (Balk, Confute, Controvert, Decline, Deny, Disallow, Disapprove, Disavow, Disclaim, Disown, Disprove, Gainsay, Ignore, Impugn, Overrule, Rebuff, Rebut, Refuse, Rejcet, Repel, Repudiate, Veto). (various references)

Finnish		kumota (annul, cancel, nullify, overthrow, repeal, revoke, turn, turn over, upset). (various references)

French		réfuter (rebut, renege, to rebut). (various references)

German		widerlegen (belie, confute, disprove, falsify, prove wrong, rebut, to confute, to disprove, to refute, vitiate). (various references)

Greek		αναιρώ (confute, negate, negative, quash, recant, rescind, reverse, unsay), αντικρούω (confute, contravene, controvert, counter to, impugn, oppose, oppugn, rebuff, rebut, rejoin, stem, thwart, traverse, withstand). (various references)

Hebrew		ל�"פריך (belie, confute, disprove, rebut), לסתור (contradict, destroy, disarray, dishevel, invalidate, oppose, rebut, upset). (various references)

Hungarian		megdönt (cant, to defeat, to demolish, to disprove, to explode, to put down, to slant, to stoop, to trip), megcáfol (contradict, disprove, rebut, repel, to belie, to confute, to disprove, to negative, to rebut, to refute). (various references)

Indonesian		membantah (disagree, dispute with). (various references)

Italian		confutare (confute, disprove, rebut). (various references)

Korean		공박하십시�". (various references)

Manx		prowal foalsey, obbal (abnegate; refusal, abnegation, abstain, abstention, decline, denial, denounce, denunciation, deny, disavow, disavowal, disclaim, disown, forbid, go against, jib, negate, negation, refuse, refusing, refutation, self-denial, turn down, turn down refuse). (various references)

Pig Latin		efuteray

Portuguese		refutar (confute, disputable, ikon, impugnable, meet, negative, oppugn, rebut, scout). (various references)

Romanian		respinge (alienate, beat back, blackball, cast away, check, confute, decline, deny, disaffirm, discard, disprove, except, fend, force back, kill, leave, negate, negative, overrule, plough, rebuff, rebut, recess, refuse, reject, relinquish, repel, repudiate, repugn, repulse, return, throw out), infirma (disaffirm, infirm, invalidate, quash). (various references)

Russian		опровергать (belie, confute, contradict, deflate, disprove, impugn, negate, negative, rebut, rebutted, rebutting, tear down). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian		pobiti (confute, disprove, kill, rebut), opovrgnuti (confute, deny, rebut, undo, unsay). (various references)

Spanish		refutar (confute, disproof, disprove, explode, meet, rebut). (various references)

Swedish		vederlägga (belie, confute, disprove, disproving, explode, falsify, rebut), tillbakavisa (deny, field, overrule, refuse, reject, repel). (various references)

Turkish		reddetmek (abnegate, cast off, challenge, controvert, damn, declare off, deny, disaffirm, disallow, disapprove, disavow, disdain, dismiss, disown, dispute, draw the line, fall down, gainsay, negate, negative, Nix, overrule, protest, quash, rebut, refuse, reject, renege, renounce, repel, repudiate, rule out, scout, set aside, spurn, take objection to, throw out, turn back, turn down, turn thumbs down on, veto, wave aside), yanlışlığını kanıtlamak, yalanlamak (belie, call back, confute, contradict, controvert, deny, disavow, disclaim, disprove, give the lie to, impugn, kill, oppugn), aksini ispatlamak (confute, disproof, explode, negate), çürütmek (canker, cause to rot, confute, controvert, contuse, corrode, corrupt, decay, decompose, disproof, disprove, explode, molder, moulder, pick to pieces, putrefy, rebut, rot, stultify). (various references)

Ukranian		спростовувати (confute, demolish, deny, disapprove, disprove, negate, negative, nill, overturn, rebut, repulse). (various references)

Welsh		gwrthbrofi (disprove). (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

Language	Period	Translations
Latin	500 BCE-Modern	convicta, convictus, convincitur, dissoluta, dissolutae, dissolutas, dissolutis, dissolutum, dissolutus, dissolvam, dissolvantur, dissolvat, dissolvatur, dissolvebant, dissolvenda, dissolventur, dissolvere, dissolverem, dissolveris, dissolverunt, dissolvetur, dissolvi, dissolvisset, dissolvisti, dissolvit, dissolvitur, infima, refutare, reprehendo, subnervabis, subnervavit, subnervavitque. (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Language	Date	Source	2 Samuel Chapter 22, Verse 3
Greek (transliterated)	250 BC	Septuagint	O qeoV mou fulax estai mou pepoiqwV esomai ep' autw uperaspisthV mou kai keraV swthriaV mou antilhmptwr mou kai katafugh mou swthriaV mou ex adikou swseiV me
Latin	405	Vulgate	Deus meus fortis meus sperabo in eum scutum meum et cornu salutis meae elevator meus et refugium meum salvator meus de iniquitate liberabis me
Middle English	1395	Wyclif	My God, my strong, and I shal hoop in hym; my sheeld, and the horn of myn heelth, my rerer, and my refute; my saueour, fro wickidnes thou shalt delyuer me.
Jacobean English	1611	King James	The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.
Victorian English	1833	Webster	The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my preserver; thou savest me from violence.
Basic English	1964	Ogden	My God, my Rock, in him will I put my faith; my breastplate, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my safe place; my saviour, who keeps me safe from the violent man.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Language	2 Samuel Chapter 22, Verse 3
Bulgarian	Бог е канара моя, на Когото се надявам, Щит мой, и рога на избавлението ми; �'исока моя кула е, и прибежище ми е, Спасител мой е; Ти ме избавяш от насилие.
Cebuano	Ang Dios, akong bato, kaniya ako modangup; Akong kalasag ug sungay sa akong kaluwasan, akong hataas nga torre, ug akong dalangpanan; Akong manluluwas, ikaw magaluwas kanako gikan sa kapintas.
Chinese	我的　神、我的磐石、我所投 � 的．他是我的盾牌、是拯救我的 �' 、是我的高臺、是我的避難所．我的救主阿、 � 是救我脫離強暴的。
Croatian	Bože moj, peæino moja kojoj se utjeèem, štite moj, spasenje moje, tvrðavo moja! Ti me izbavljaš od nasilja.
Danish	min Gud, mit Bjerg, hvortil jeg tyr, mit Skjold, mit Frelseshorn, mit Værn, min Tilflugt, min Frelser, som frelser mig fra Vold!
Dutch	God is mijn Rots, ik zal op Hem betrouwen; mijn Schild en de Hoorn mijns heils, mijn Hoog Vertrek en mijn Toevlucht, mijn Verlosser! Van geweld hebt Gij mij verlost!
Finnish	Jumala, minun vuoreni, jonka turviin minä pakenen, minun kilpeni, autuuteni sarvi, varustukseni ja pakopaikkani, sinä pelastajani, joka pelastat minut väkivallasta!
French	Dieu est mon rocher, où je trouve un abri, Mon bouclier et la force qui me sauve, Ma haute retraite et mon refuge. O mon Sauveur! tu me garantis de la violence.
German	Gott ist mein Hort, auf den ich traue, mein Schild und Horn meines Heils, mein Schutz und meine Zuflucht, mein Heiland, der du mir hilfst vor dem Frevel.
Haitian Creole	Ou se Bondye mwen, se ou menm ki pwoteje m'. Se nan ou mwen mete tout konfyans mwen. Se ou ki tout defans mwen. Se fòs ou k'ap sove m'. Se anba zèl ou m' jwenn kote pou m' kache. Se ou ki delivrans mwen. Se ou ki delivre m' anba mechan yo.
Hungarian	Az Isten az én erõsségem, õ benne bízom én. &Paizsom nékem õ s idvességemnek szarva, erõsségem és oltalmam. &Az én idvezítõm, ki megszabadítasz az erõszakosságtól.
Indonesian-Bahasa Sehari-hari	TUHAN seperti benteng yang kuat tempat aku berlindung. Allahku seperti gunung batu, tempat aku bernaung. Seperti perisai Ia menutupi aku, dan menjaga aku agar aman selalu.
Indonesian-Terjemahan Lama	Bahwa Allah juga gunung batuku, maka aku harap akan Dia, yang perisaiku dan tanduk selamatku dan tempat perlindunganku yang tinggi, kepada-Nya aku lari berlindung: Engkaulah penebusku, yang sudah melepaskan aku dari pada aniaya!
Italian	il mio Dio, la mia rupe in cui mi rifugio, il mio scudo, la mia salvezza, il mio riparo! Sei la mia roccaforte che mi salva: tu mi salvi dalla violenza.
Korean	나 의 하 나 님 이 시 �", 나 의 �"� � �" 위 시 �", 나 의 방 패 시 �", 나 의 구 원 의 �" 이 시 �", 나 의 �' 은 망 대 시 �", 나 의 �"� 난 처 시 �", 나 의 구 원 자 시 라 ! 나 를 흉 악 에 서 구 원 하 셨 도 다
Maori	Ko te Atua toku kamaka, ka whakawhirinaki ahau ki a ia; ko toku whakangungu rakau, ko te haona o toku whakaoranga, ko toku pa tiketike, ko toku rerenga atu; e toku kaiwhakaora, whakaorangia ana ahau e koe i te tutu.
Modern Greek	ο Θεος ειναι ο βραχος μου· επ' αυτον θελω ελπιζει· η ασπις μου και το κερας της σωτηριας μου, ο υψηλος πυργος μου και η καταφυγη μου, ο σωτηρ μου· συ εσωσας με εκ της αδικιας.
Norwegian	min klippefaste Gud, som jeg setter min lit til, mitt skjold og min frelses horn, min borg og min tilflukt, min frelser; fra vold frelser du mig.
Portuguese	É meu Deus, a minha rocha, nele confiarei; é o meu escudo, e a força da minha salvação, o meu alto retiro, e o meu refúgio. O meu Salvador; da violência tu me livras.
Rumanian	Dumnezeu este stknca mea, la care gqsesc un adqpost, scutul meu wi puterea... care mq mkntuiewte, turnul...... meu cel knalt wi scqparea... mea. Mkntuitorule! Tu mq scapi de sklnicie.
Russian	вПЗ НПК--УЛБМБ НПС; ОБ оЕЗП С Х� ПЧБА; ЭЙФ НПК, ТПЗ У� БУЕОЙС НПЕЗП, ПЗТБЦ�"ЕОЙЕ НПЕ Й Х�'ЕЦЙЭЕ НПЕ; у� БУЙФЕМШ НПК, ПФ �'Е�" фЩ ЙЪ�'БЧЙМ НЕОС!
Spanish	Dios es mi peña; en él me refugiaré. Él es mi escudo, el poder de mi liberación, mi baluarte, mi refugio y mi salvador. Tú me salvas de la violencia.
Swedish	Gud, du min klippa, till vilken jag tager min tillflykt, min sköld och min frälsnings horn, mitt värn och min tillflykt, min frälsare, du som frälsar mig från våldet! >Ps. 3,4. 144,2. Luk. 1,69. Hebr. 2,13.
Thai	เป็นพระเจ้าซึ่งทรงเป็นศิลาของข้าพเจ้า ข้าพเจ้าจะวางใจในพระองค์ พระองค์เป็นโล่และเป็นเขาแห่งความรอ�"ของข้าพเจ้า เป็นที่กำบังเข้มแข็งและเป็นที่ลี้� ัยของข้าพเจ้า องค์พระผู้ช่วยของข้าพระองค์เจ้าข้า พระองค์ทรงช่วยข้าพระองค์ให้รอ�"จากความทารุ�"
Ukrainian	Мій Бог моя скеля, сховаюсь я в ній, �'ін щит мій і ріг, �'ін спасіння мого, �'ін башта моя та мо�" пристановище! Спасителю мій, Ти вряту�"ш мене від насилля!
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Derivations
	Words beginning with "refute": refuted, refuter, refuters, refutes. (additional references)
Misspellings
	"Refute" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Raffanti, raute, reaut, rebute, Reduta, reduty, refete, refume, refuste, refut, regute, rejut, retute, reuten, Rigutto. (additional references)
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

# of Phoneme Matches	Pronunciation	Word(s) rhyming with "refute" (pronounced rufyuw"t)
3	-y uw" t	acute, Bute, Butte, commute, compute, cute, dispute, disrepute, impute, mute, permute, repute, subacute.
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams
	Words within the letters "e-e-f-r-t-u"
	-2 letters: feet, fere, fete, free, fret, reef, reft, rete, tree, tref, true, turf.
	-3 letters: eft, ere, fee, fer, fet, feu, fur, ree, ref, ret, rue, rut, tee.
	-4 letters: ef, er, et, re, ut.
	Words containing the letters "e-e-f-r-t-u"
	+1 letter: feature, refuted, refuter, refutes.
	+2 letters: buffeter, featured, features, fourteen, frequent, refluent, refuters, unfetter.
	+3 letters: buffeters, cofeature, defaulter, defeature, flustered, fluttered, flutterer, fourteens, frequents, fruiterer, furmeties, furthered, furtherer, interfuse, perfusate, putrefied, putrefies, refulgent, refutable, regretful, resentful, restuffed, rufescent, surfeited, surfeiter, unfertile, unfetters, unperfect.
	+4 letters: beautifier, centrifuge, cofeatured, cofeatures, defaulters, defeatures, featurette, flutterers, forfeiture, fourteener, fourteenth, fremituses, frequented, frequenter, frequently, fruiterers, frumenties, frutescent, furmenties, furtherers, futureless, greenstuff, infrequent, interfluve, interfused, interfuses, outfielder, perfusates, pluperfect, prefecture, respectful, restfuller, subterfuge, sulfureted, surefooted, surfeiters, unfathered, unfettered, unfiltered, unforested.
	+5 letters: afterburner, beautifiers, beautifuler, butterflied, butterflies, butterflyer, carefullest, centrifuged, centrifuges, counterfeit, counterfire, fearfullest, featureless, featurettes, feudatories, fluorescent, fluorimeter, fluorometer, flusteredly, forequarter, forfeitures, fourteeners, fourteenths, frequenters, frequentest, frequenting, fretfulness, furtherance, furthermore, furtiveness, gratefuller, greenstuffs, housefather, interfluves, irrefutable, outfielders, overfatigue, overstuffed, pestiferous, pluperfects, prefectural, prefectures, prestigeful, reformulate, regretfully, reoutfitted, resentfully, restfullest, restfulness, rubefacient, spitefuller, subterfuges, suffragette, sulfuretted, superfatted, superinfect, tearfulness, typefounder, uncertified, unfermented, unfettering.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.