[de.ny] vt de.nied ; de.ny.ing [ME, fr. MF denier, fr. L denegare, fr. de- + negare to deny--more at negate] (14c) 1: to declare untrue
2: to disclaim connection with or responsibility for: disavow 3 a: to give a negative answer to b: to refuse to grant c: to restrain (oneself) from gratification of desires
4. archaic: decline
5: to refuse to accept the existence, truth, or validity of -- de.ny.ing.ly adv syn deny, gainsay, contradict, contravene mean to refuse to accept as true or valid. deny implies a firm refusal to accept as true, to grant or concede, or to acknowledge the existence or claims of "denied the charges". gainsay implies disputing the truth of what another has said "no one can gainsay her claims". contradict implies an open or flat denial "her account contradicts his". contravene implies not so much an intentional opposition as some inherent incompatibility "laws that contravene tradition".