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Demean vs Impugn - What's the difference?

demean | impugn |

As verbs the difference between demean and impugn

is that demean is to debase; to lower; to degrade while impugn is to assault, attack.

As a noun demean

is management; treatment.

demean

English

Etymology 1

(1595) From . Compare English (m).

Verb

(en verb)
  • To debase; to lower; to degrade.
  • * Thackeray
  • Her son would demean himself by a marriage with an artist's daughter.
  • To humble, humble oneself; to humiliate.
  • To mortify.
  • Synonyms
    * debase * lower * degrade

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To manage; to conduct; to treat.
  • * Milton
  • [Our] clergy have with violence demeaned the matter.
  • To conduct; to behave; to comport; followed by the reflexive pronoun.
  • * Shakespeare
  • They have demeaned themselves / Like men born to renown by life or death.
  • * Clarendon
  • They answered that they should demean themselves according to their instructions.

    Noun

  • (archaic) Management; treatment.
  • * Spenser
  • vile demean and usage bad
  • (archaic) Behavior; conduct; bearing; demeanor.
  • * 1596 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , V.5:
  • *:‘When thou hast all this doen, then bring me newes / Of his demeane […].’
  • * West
  • with grave demean and solemn vanity

    Etymology 3

    Var. of demesne.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • demesne.
  • resources; means.
  • Anagrams

    * * *

    impugn

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To assault, attack.
  • To verbally assault, especially to argue against an opinion, motive, or action; to question the truth or validity of.
  • Quotations

    {{timeline, 1800s=1859 1864 1872 1889, 1900s=1922}} * 1859 — *: Let the opinions impugned be the belief in a God and in a future state, or any of the commonly received doctrines of morality. * 1864 — *: There have been much impugning of motives and much heated controversy as to the proper means and best mode of advancing the Union cause. * 1872 — *: At home, at a period of immense prosperity, with a people contented and naturally loyal, we find to our surprise the most extravagant doctrines professed and the fundamental principles of our most valuable institutions impugned , and that too by persons of some authority. * 1889 — , ch. xxv *: It is a hardy question, fair sir and Boss, since it doth go far to impugn the wisdom of even our holy Mother Church herself. * 1922 — , ch. 21 *: He is not dead. When he revives he will return to his quarters with a fine tale of his bravery and there will be none to impugn his boasts.

    Synonyms

    * (to question the validity of) call into question, challenge, contest, contradict, deny, disavow, dispute, oppugn, negate

    Antonyms

    * (to question the validity of) authenticate, endorse, support

    Derived terms

    * impugnable * impugner

    Anagrams

    *