Deny vs Eeny - What's the difference?
deny | eeny |
To not allow.
* 1847 , Anne Brontë, Agnes Grey Chapter XVI
To assert that something is not true.
* {{quote-news
, year=2011
, date=November 1
, author=James Robinson and Lisa O'Carroll
, title=Phone hacking: NoW warned about 'culture of illegal information access'
, work=The Guardian
To disallow
to refuse to give or grant something to someone
* J. Edwards
* {{quote-news
, year=2008
, date=April 12
, author=
, title=Mother denied daughter's organs
, work=BBC
(sports) To prevent from scoring.
* {{quote-news
, year=2011
, date=November 3
, author=Chris Bevan
, title=Rubin Kazan 1 - 0 Tottenham
, work=BBC Sport
Two more top-class stops followed quickly afterwards, first from Natcho's rasping shot which was heading into the top corner, and then to deny Ryazantsev at his near post.}} To disclaim connection with, responsibility for, etc.; to refuse to acknowledge; to disown; to abjure; to disavow.
* Bancroft
* Keble
(obsolete) To refuse (to do or accept something).
* Shakespeare
(informal) minuscule
(informal) In a very small way.
* 1999 , Joe Klein, Woody Guthrie: A Life , page 35
* 2003 , Craig Lucas, "Reckless", in Reckless and Other Plays , page 54
* 2004 , Stephen Bayley, "Car culture: Why a MINI is better than a Porsche", Daily Telegraph , 14/08/2004
(British, dialect) Holey, cellular.
(dialect) With most, almost
(dialect) Only
As a verb deny
is to not allow.As an adjective eeny is
minuscule.As an adverb eeny is
in a very small way.deny
English
Verb
(en-verb)- I wanted to go to the party, but I was denied .
- 'Do! pray do! I shall be the most miserable of men if you don't. You cannot be so cruel as to deny me a favour so easily granted and yet so highly prized!' pleaded he as ardently as if his life depended on it.
- I deny that I was at the party.
- Everyone knows he committed the crime, but he still denies it.
citation, page= , passage=But Myler and Crone told the committee in September that they had made Murdoch aware at the 10 June 2008 meeting that hacking was not restricted to a single journalist. They claimed this was the reason Murdoch agreed to settle the Taylor's case. James Murdoch subsequently wrote to the committee to deny this. }}
- My father denied me a good education.
- To some men, it is more agreeable to deny a vicious inclination, than to gratify it.
citation, page= , passage=A mother who urgently needs a kidney transplant has branded the system which denied her the organs of her dying daughter as "ridiculous".}}
citation, page= , passage=Another Karadeniz cross led to Cudicini's first save of the night, with the Spurs keeper making up for a weak punch by brilliantly pushing away Christian Noboa's snap-shot.
Two more top-class stops followed quickly afterwards, first from Natcho's rasping shot which was heading into the top corner, and then to deny Ryazantsev at his near post.}}
- the falsehood of denying his opinion
- thou thrice denied , yet thrice beloved
- if you deny to dance
Usage notes
* This is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing) . SeeSynonyms
(assert something is not true) gainsay, contradict, withsayAntonyms
(not allow) allow (assert something is true) confirm, affirmDerived terms
* deniability * denierAnagrams
* * English reporting verbseeny
English
Etymology 1
Possibly from teeny weenyAdjective
(-)- Can you put an eeny bit of mustard on my hot dog?
Synonyms
* itsy bitsy, itty, teeny weeny, tiny, teeny, bittyAdverb
(-)- Then they would go back to the gang house—Woody named it the Eeny House because it was so small [...].
- ... and weep and moan and scream every little eeny orgasm.
- The interior is, perhaps, an eeny bit tricksy, but has worn surprisingly well over nearly four years and did not really need the light refreshment it has received in the Cabrio
Etymology 2
(en)Adjective
(-)Etymology 3
(en)Adjective
(-)Adverb
(-)- He eeny most had enough to eat.
- He's eeny just come home.