impugn, v.
(ɪmˈpjuːn)
Forms: 4 in-, yn-, 4–6 en-, (5 em-), 5–6 ym-, 4–7 impugne, 4–5 in-, impungne, 6 impunge (?), Sc. impung, 6– impugn.
[a. F. impugner (1363 in Godefroy) = Pr. im-, enpugnar, Sp. impugnar, It. impugnare, ad. L. impugnāre to attack, assail, f. im- (im-1) + pugnāre to fight.]
† 1. trans. To fight against: to attack, assail, assault (a person, city, etc.). Obs.
| 1382 Wyclif 1 Macc. xi. 41 Thei inpungneden Yrael. 1388 ― Judg. ix. 44 He roos..and enpugnyde [1382 aȝenfiȝtynge] and bisegide the citee. c 1450 tr. De Imitatione iii. xl. 110 Þou dwellist amonge enemyes, þou art impugned on þe riȝt honde & on þe lifte honde. 1553 Becon Reliques of Rome (1563) 264 We are set in a slipperye place, and are impugned of deuills. 1603 Knolles Hist. Turks (1621) 35 He..laid siege unto Damascus..which he so notably impugned, that [etc.]. |
| fig. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. Ded., The Outworks of the Enemy, from whence they impugne the Civill Power. |
† b. To fight in resistance against; to withstand, resist, oppose.
Obs.| 1577 Hanmer Anc. Eccl. Hist. (1619) 43 Josephus..which himselfe also at the first impugned the Romaines. 1591 Troub. Raigne K. John ii. (1611) 107 Only the heart impugnes with faint resist The fierce inuade of him that conquers Kings. 1611 Speed Hist. Gt. Brit. ix. v. §25 God..will not leaue vs succourlesse, whiles in a just cause, we impugne a most vnjust Intruder. 1660 F. Brooke tr. Le Blanc's Trav. 223 To impugn with all his power the Moores, Jews, and Idolaters. |
| transf. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. vi. v. 291 The defect of alternation would utterly impugne the generation of all things. |
2. To assail (an opinion, statement, document, action, etc.) by word or argument; to call in question; to dispute the truth, validity, or correctness of; to oppose as false or erroneous.
| 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. viii. 155 Al þis makeþ me..to þenken..On Pers þe plouhmon and whuch a pardoun he hedde, And hou þe preost inpugnede hit. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 350 Þes sectis inpungnen þe gospel, and also þe olde lawe. 1415 Hoccleve To Sir J. Oldcastle 172 No man wolde Impugne hir right. 1494 Fabyan Chron. ii. xliii. 29 This sayinge contraryeth and enpugnyth myne Auctor Gaufride. 1549 Compl. Scot. To Rdr. 12 Detractione..reddy to suppedit & tyl impung ane verteous verk. a 1614 Donne βιαθανατος (1644) 124 No man hath as yet, to my knowledge, impugned this custome of ours. 1678 Cudworth Intell. Syst. i. v. 642 It cannot be accounted less than extreme sottishness and stupidity of mind..thus to impugn a Deity. 1777 Watson Philip II (1793) I. v. 181 An opinion which in France had always been impugned and rejected. 1847 Disraeli Tancred i. v, The saint was scarcely canonised, before his claims to beatitude were impugned. |
b. To assail the actions, question the statements, etc. of (a person); to find fault with, accuse. Now
rare.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xiii. 123 One Pieres þe ploughman hath inpugned vs alle, And sette alle sciences at a soppe, saue loue one. 1491 Caxton Vitas Patr. (W. de W. 1495) iii. iii. 318 b/1 Many hated hym & specyally theretykes; for he cessed not to enpugne & repreef theym. 1530 Lyndesay Test. Papyngo 13 Quho dar presume thir Poetis tyll Impung, Quhose sweit sentence throuch Albione bene sung? 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. iv. i. 179 Yet in such rule, that the Venetian Law Cannot impugne you as you do proceed. 1879 Farrar St. Paul xl. II. 323 note, The Law, for the supposed apostasy from which he was impugned. |
Hence
imˈpugned ppl. a.;
imˈpugning vbl. n. and ppl. a.| c 1400 Apol. Loll. 73 Inpungning of þe law of God. c 1440 Jacob's Well (E.E.T.S.) 276 It techyth þe..to defende þi feyth wyth resouns fro inpugnyng of heretykes. 1599 Sandys Europæ Spec. (1632) 94 For defence of impugned truth. 1802–12 Bentham Rat. Judic. Evid. (1827) III. 204 It should be allowable..to call upon the impugning witness..to declare [etc.]. 1860 Sat. Rev. IX. 145/2 The impugned department will send down..a cohort of witnesses. |