Impugn

Pronunciation: /ɪmˈpjuːn/

Definitions of impugn

verb to challenge or attack as false or questionable

Example Sentences

A1 She impugned his honesty when he didn't return her phone call.

A2 The suspect impugned the evidence presented by the prosecution.

B1 The journalist impugned the credibility of the government official's statement.

B2 The defense attorney attempted to impugn the witness's testimony.

C1 The opposition party continuously impugns the ruling party's policies.

C2 The author impugned the motives of those who criticized her work.

Examples of impugn in a Sentence

formal The lawyer attempted to impugn the witness's credibility during cross-examination.

informal She always tries to impugn my decisions, but I don't let it bother me.

slang I dare you to impugn my reputation, I'll show you what I'm made of.

figurative The dark clouds seemed to impugn the sunny outlook of the day.

Grammatical Forms of impugn

• past tense: impugned
• plural: impugn
• comparative: more impugning
• superlative: most impugning
• present tense: impugns
• future tense: will impugn
• perfect tense: have impugned
• continuous tense: is impugning
• singular: impugn
• positive degree: impugn
• infinitive: to impugn
• gerund: impugning
• participle: impugned

Origin and Evolution of impugn

First Known Use: 1400 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'impugn' originated from the Latin word 'impugnare', which means to attack or assail.

Evolution of the word: Over time, 'impugn' has evolved to also mean to challenge the validity or integrity of something, in addition to its original meaning of attacking or assailing.