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Naysayer vs Gainsayer - What's the difference?

naysayer | gainsayer |

As nouns the difference between naysayer and gainsayer

is that naysayer is one who consistently denies, criticizes, or doubts; a detractor while gainsayer is one who contradicts or denies what is alleged; an opposer.

naysayer

English

Alternative forms

* nay-sayer

Noun

(en noun)
  • One who consistently denies, criticizes, or doubts; a detractor.
  • :He ignored the naysayers and succeeded with his idea.

    • Synonyms

    * pessimist, doubter, cynic, misanthrope

    Antonyms

    * yeasayer, yea-sayer

    Related terms

    * naysaying, nay-saying

    gainsayer

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • One who contradicts or denies what is alleged; an opposer.
  • A person who gainsays others; a disagreeable person.
  • * 1724 , , The Drapier's Letters , "Letter IV: A Letter to the Whole People of Ireland":
    • First, The writer, positively asserts, "That Wood's halfpence were current among us for several months with the universal approbation of all people, without one single gainsayer ".
  • * 2000 , Robin McKie, " 'Super Brain' to eclipse the Net adds to power of machines," The Observer'' at ''guardian.co.uk , 21 May (retrieved 8 Sep. 2008):
    • This urge to ensure the continued viability of UK science is balanced by warnings that such a system brings closer the day when computers will take over the running of the world and discard humanity. One such gainsayer is Bill Joy, inventor of the web language Java and chief scientist at computer giant Sun Microsystems.

    Synonyms

    * withsayer

    References

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