What does "confute" mean?

To show (something or someone) to be false or wrong; to disprove or refute.

Confute

Q: What is a synonym for "confute"?

Common synonyms include: answer, answer conclusively, antagonize, argue down, be antipathetic, be inimical.

//kənˈfjuːt// verb

verb ·Uncommon ·College level

Definitions

Verb

1
To show (something or someone) to be false or wrong; to disprove or refute. archaic, transitive
"Procatalepsis is a forme of speech by which the Orator perceiving aforehand what might be objected against him, and hurt him, doth confute it before it be spoken […]."
2
prove to be false wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

answer answer conclusively antagonize argue down be antipathetic be inimical

Example

More examples

"Procatalepsis is a forme of speech by which the Orator perceiving aforehand what might be objected against him, and hurt him, doth confute it before it be spoken […]."

Etymology

From Middle French confuter, from Latin confūtō.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.