Confute - English meaning

verb

(of an appearance) fail to give a true impression of (something).

Usage examples:

His lively, alert manner belied his years

verb

To represent something falsely or to hide something

Usage examples:

His gruff manner belied a gentle personality.

verb

To show something to be false, or to hide something such as an emotion

Usage examples:

Her calm face belied the terror she was feeling.

verb

Deny the truth of (a statement) by asserting the opposite.

Usage examples:

The survey appears to contradict the industry's claims

verb

(of people) to state the opposite of what someone has said, or (of one fact or statement) to be so different from another fact or statement that one of them must be wrong

Usage examples:

Her testimony contradicted the policeman’s testimony, and the jury had to decide who was telling th…

verb

(of people) to say the opposite of what someone else has said, or (of one fact or statement) to be so different from another fact or statement that one of them must be wrong

Usage examples:

If you're both going to lie, at least stick to the same story and don't contradict each other!, con…

verb

Expose the falseness or hollowness of (an idea or belief).

Usage examples:

She debunks all the usual rubbish about acting

verb

To show that something is not true

Usage examples:

Every week some long-held medical theory is debunked.

verb

To show that something is less important, less good, or less true than it has been made to appear

Usage examples:

Debunk a myth the writer's aim was to debunk the myth that had grown up around the actress.

verb

State that one refuses to admit the truth or existence of.

Usage examples:

Both firms deny any responsibility for the tragedy

verb

To say that something is not true

Usage examples:

The governor denied reports that he will resign., [ + that clause ] she has denied that she plans t…

verb

It is true

Usage examples:

There's no denying that this has been a difficult year for the company.

verb

Harm the good reputation of.

Usage examples:

His remarks were taken out of context in an effort to discredit him

noun

Loss or lack of reputation or respect.

Usage examples:

His actions were such that they brought discredit on his profession

verb

To give people reason to stop believing someone or to doubt the truth of something

Usage examples:

The old soviet economic model has been thoroughly discredited., it’s the job of the defense to disc…

verb

Prove that (something) is false.

Usage examples:

He has given the department of transport two months to disprove the allegation

verb

To prove that an idea, statement, etc. is not true

Usage examples:

Given the thoroughness of the author’s research, the burden rests on critics to disprove the facts …

verb

To prove that something is not true

Usage examples:

The allegations have been disproved.

verb

Burst or shatter violently and noisily as a result of rapid combustion, excessive internal pressure, or other process.

Usage examples:

An ammunition lorry exploded with a roar

verb

Burst and release energy as through a violent reaction

verb

To burst violently and usually with a loud noise, or to cause this to happen

Usage examples:

[ i ] a bomb exploded nearby., [ t ] black holes are left behind by exploding stars called supernov…

verb

Make (something) visible by uncovering it.

Usage examples:

At low tide the sands are exposed

noun

A report in the media that reveals something discreditable.

Usage examples:

A shocking exposé of a medical cover-up

verb

Show; make visible or apparent

verb

Deny or contradict (a fact or statement).

Usage examples:

The impact of the railways cannot be gainsaid

verb

To refuse to accept something as the truth

Usage examples:

Certainly there's no gainsaying (= it is not possible to doubt) the technical brilliance of his per…

idiom

To prove that something is not true

Usage examples:

The fact that the number of deaths from cancer in the area has doubled surely gives the lie to offi…

verb

Make or prove (an argument, statement, or theory) unsound or erroneous.

Usage examples:

His second is that finding unpleasant - even horrible - application of a scientific theory or philo…

verb

To make something not true, or to make something unacceptable

Usage examples:

A few minor factual errors should not invalidate the theory.

verb

To officially stop a document, contract, etc. being legally or officially acceptable

Usage examples:

If you do not go to an approved garage, you are likely to invalidate a warranty on a new car., the …

idiom

To damage something severely, especially by destroying its support

Usage examples:

The rise in mortgage rates really knocked the bottom out of the housing market.

verb

Make ineffective; nullify.

Usage examples:

Alcohol negates the effects of the drug

verb

To show something to be wrong or to be the opposite of what was thought, or to cause something to have no effect

Usage examples:

The increase in sales was negated by the rising cost of materials.

verb

Reject as invalid, especially by legal procedure.

Usage examples:

His conviction was quashed on appeal

verb

To stop or block something from happening

Usage examples:

The secretary of defense tried to quash speculation that he was planning to resign following the di…

verb

To state officially that something, especially an earlier official decision, is no longer to be accepted

Usage examples:

Quash a conviction/decision/order his conviction was quashed in march after a lengthy legal battle.…

verb

Claim or prove that (evidence or an accusation) is false.

Usage examples:

He had to rebut charges of acting for the convenience of his political friends

verb

Prove (a statement or theory) to be wrong or false; disprove.

Usage examples:

These claims have not been convincingly refuted