Word Meanings - CONFUTE - Book Publishers vocabulary database

To overwhelm by argument; to refute conclusively; to prove or show to be false or defective; to overcome; to silence. Satan stood . . . confuted and convinced Of his weak arguing fallacious drift. Milton. No man's error can be confuted who doth

Additional info about word: CONFUTE

To overwhelm by argument; to refute conclusively; to prove or show to be false or defective; to overcome; to silence. Satan stood . . . confuted and convinced Of his weak arguing fallacious drift. Milton. No man's error can be confuted who doth not . . . grant some true principle that contradicts his error. Chillingworth. I confute a good profession with a bad conversation. Fuller. Syn. -- To disprove; overthrow; sed aside; refute; oppugn. -- To Confute, Refute. Refute is literally to and decisive evidence; as, to refute a calumny, charge, etc. Confute is literally to check boiling, as when cold water is poured into hot, thus serving to allay, bring down, or neutralize completely. Hence, as applied to arguments (and the word is never applied, like refute, to charges), it denotes, to overwhelm by evidence which puts an end to the case and leaves an opponent nothing to say; to silence; as, "the atheist is confuted by the whole structure of things around him." (more info) a root seen in futis a water vessel), prob. akin to fundere to pour:

Possible synonyms: (Same meaning words of CONFUTE)

• Contradict
• Oppose
• dissent
• negative
• controvert
• deny
• disprove
• confute
• refute
• gainsay
• contravene
• Rebut
• Meet
• retort
• annul
• Refute
• Negative
• neutralize
• repel
• Vanquish
• Conquer
• surmount
• subdue
• discomfit
• overcome
• defeat
• master

Possible antonyms: (opposite words of CONFUTE)

• Secure
• promote
• insure
• speed
• advance
• establish
• aid

Related words: (words related to CONFUTE)

• SPECTACLE
  An optical instrument consisting of two lenses set in a light frame, and worn to assist sight, to obviate some defect in the organs of vision, or to shield the eyes from bright light. 4. pl. (more info) 1. Something exhibited to view; usually,
• SPERMATOCYTE
  See SPERMOBLAST
• REPELLENCE; REPELLENCY
  The principle of repulsion; the quality or capacity of repelling; repulsion.
• SPECIFICNESS
  The quality or state of being specific.
• SPERMATIC
  Of or pertaining to semen; as, the spermatic fluid, the spermatic vessels, etc. Spermatic cord , the cord which suspends the testicle within the scrotum. It is made up of a connective tissue sheath inclosing the spermatic duct and accompanying
• SPERMATICAL
  Spermatic.
• CONTRADICTABLE
  Capable of being contradicting.
• SPECTROGRAPH
  An apparatus for photographing or mapping a spectrum. A photograph or picture of a spectrum. -- Spec`tro*graph"ic , a. --Spec`tro*graph"ic*al*ly , adv. --Spec*trog"ra*phy , n.
• NEUTRALIZE
  To render inert or imperceptible the peculiar affinities of, as a chemical substance; to destroy the effect of; as, to neutralize an acid with a base. 3. To destroy the peculiar or opposite dispositions of; to reduce to a state of indifference
• SPECK
  The blubber of whales or other marine mammals; also, the fat of the hippopotamus. Speck falls , falls or ropes rove through blocks for hoisting the blubber and bone of whales on board a whaling vessel.
• SPECTATORSHIP
  1. The office or quality of a spectator. Addison. 2. The act of beholding. Shak.
• SPECE
  Species; kind. Chaucer.
• DISCOMFITURE
  The act of discomfiting, or the state of being discomfited; rout; overthrow; defeat; frustration; confusion and dejection. Every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture. 1 Sam. xiv. 20. A hope destined to end
• NEGATIVE
  Asserting absence of connection between a subject and a predicate; as, a negative proposition. (more info) 1. Denying; implying, containing, or asserting denial, negation or refusal; returning the answer no to an inquiry or request; refusing
• SPEECHLESS
  1. Destitute or deprived of the faculty of speech. 2. Not speaking for a time; dumb; mute; silent. Speechless with wonder, and half dead with fear. Addison. -- Speech"less*ly, adv. -- Speech"less*ness, n.
• SPENDTHRIFT
  One who spends money profusely or improvidently; a prodigal; one who lavishes or wastes his estate. Also used figuratively. A woman who was a generous spendthrift of life. Mrs. R. H. Davis.
• SPEED COUNTER
  A device for automatically counting the revolutions or pulsations of an engine or other machine; -- called also simply counter.
• CONTRADICTIVE
  Contradictory; inconsistent. -- Con`tra*dict"ive*ly, adv..
• SPENCE
  despendre to spend, distribute, L. dispendere, dispensum. See 1. A place where provisions are kept; a buttery; a larder; a pantry. Chiefly Brit. dial. In . . . his spence, or "pantry" were hung the carcasses of a sheep or ewe, and two cows lately
• SPERMATOZOOID
  A spermatozoid.
• CREMASTERIC
  Of or pertaining to the cremaster; as, the cremasteric artery.
• ASPER
  Rough; rugged; harsh; bitter; stern; fierce. "An asper sound." Bacon.
• ANGIOMONOSPERMOUS
  Producing one seed only in a seed pod.
• BAGGAGE MASTER
  One who has charge of the baggage at a railway station or upon a line of public travel.
• OOSPERM; OOESPERM
  The ovum, after fusion with the spermatozoön in impregnation. Balfour.
• DISPENSE
  1. To deal out in portions; to distribute; to give; as, the steward dispenses provisions according directions; Nature dispenses her bounties; to dispense medicines. He is delighted to dispense a share of it to all the company. Sir W. Scott. 2.
• MISPENSE
  See HALL
• INDISPENSABLENESS
  The state or quality of being indispensable, or absolutely necessary. S. Clarke.
• SUSPENSORY
  Of or pertaining to a suspensorium. (more info) 1. Suspended; hanging; depending. 2. Fitted or serving to suspend; suspending; as, a suspensory muscle. Ray.
• DISPERSION
  The separation of light into its different colored rays, arising from their different refrangibilities. Dispersion of the optic axes , the separation of the optic axes in biaxial crystals, due to the fact that the axial angle has different values
• JASPERATED
  mixed with jasper; containing particles of jasper; as, jasperated agate.
• DISRESPECTABILITY
  Want of respectability. Thackeray.