gainsay
/ɡeɪnˈseɪ/
"gainsay" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“gainsay” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To say something in contradiction to.
Corpus desk
Index EN-gainsay · gainsay · English
gainsay · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 7 letters
- VOW-4 4 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "G" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | gainsay |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ɡeɪnˈseɪ/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “gainsay” in English
Rare enough to double-check
gainsay is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ɡeɪnˈseɪ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "To say something in contradiction to.".
No generated misspelling entries exist for gainsay in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English gainsayen, ȝeinseggen (“to say against, say in opposition to”), equivalent to gain- + say. Compare Old Danish gensige (“to speak against; gainsay”), Swedish gensaga (“a speaking against; protest”). The correct English form is gainsay, spelled G-A-I-N-S-A-Y.
Definition
- 1To say something in contradiction to.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how gainsay appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
[…]vve are able with playne demonſtration to proue, and vvith reaſon to perſvvade that in tymes paſt our fayth vvas alike, that then vve preached thinges correſpondent vnto the forme of faith already publiſhed of vs, ſo that none in this behalfe can repyne or gayneſay vs.
The supreme court, therefore, may assume jurisdiction over subjects and between parties, not allowed by the constitution, and there is no power in the federal government to gainsay it.
Etymology
From Middle English gainsayen, ȝeinseggen (“to say against, say in opposition to”), equivalent to gain- + say. Compare Old Danish gensige (“to speak against; gainsay”), Swedish gensaga (“a speaking against; protest”).
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.