German Conversation · Level 164
30 words
German word
entgegnen
Pronunciation
IPA/ɛntˈgeːgnən/
Meaning
- verbcontradict
Example
Sie entgegnet ihm kurz.
She briefly contradicts him.
More examples
Den Einwänden entgegnete er souverän mit zusätzlichen Daten.
He confidently countered the objections with additional data.
Core concept
A speaker meets another person's claim head-on and sends back a brief counter-answer.
Common phrases
auf Einwände entgegnen
counter objections
der Gegenposition entgegnen
counter the opposing position
Similar words
widersprechen: Reject someone's statement and maintain that the opposite is true.
erwidern: Respond to a question or remark with an answer or explanation.
einwenden: Object to an opinion by citing a problem, flaw, or reason.
kontern: Hit back at a remark with a quick, sharp, or forceful reply.
Definition in German
jemandem gegenüber inhaltlich widersprechen und kurz erwidern
Word origin
Entgegnen developed from Middle High German entgegenen, built on entgegen for movement or orientation toward the opposite side, and came to mean answering someone in opposition.
Usage tips
- Entgegnen normally takes a dative person, as in jemandem entgegnen, not the accusative used with many English verbs for answering.
Other meanings
- retortverb
- replyverb
- respondverb
Opposites
- schweigenremain silentverb
Related words
- Entgegnungrebuttalnoun