impugn
verb/ɪmˈpjuːn/
Etymology Borrowed from Middle French impugner, from Latin impugnō, from im- + pugnō (“fight”), from pugnus (“fist”), as in English pugilism (“fighting with fists, boxing”).
1
Obsolete To assault, attack.
2
To verbally assault, especially to argue against an opinion, motive, or action; to question the truth or validity of; cast doubt on.
- For quotations using this term, see Citations:impugn.
- [The fact] that Americans’ trust in government is at historic lows […] makes it easier for politicians to impugn the system – courts, parties, and institutions.2023 March 13, Mark Sappenfield, “Governing wisely”, in The Christian Science Monitor:
- Derived terms
- impugnable, impugnation, impugner, impugnment, unimpugned