Meanings
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1
noun
a person who contradicts, denies, or opposes a claim
The proposal survived the debate despite every gainsayer who challenged its assumptions.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Middle English gainsayer, an agent noun from gainsay. The first element descends from an Old English form meaning 'against,' while say descends from Old English secgan. A gainsayer is thus literally one who says against something.