repugn : M-W's Word of the Day

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The Word of the Day for February 19 is:

repugn \rih-PYOON\ verb
: to contend against : oppose

Example sentence:
"First and chief.... let the others repugn as they will: all Titles of Nobility, from Duke to Esquire, or lower, are henceforth abolished." (Thomas Carlyle, _The French Revolution: A History_)

Did you know?
"Repugn" is a word that was relatively common in English in the 16th and 17th centuries. These days, however, English speakers are more likely to be familiar with one of its close relatives, namely, the adjective "repugnant," which formerly meant "hostile" but today most commonly means "exciting distaste or aversion." The Latin root for both of these words is "pugnare," meaning "to fight." Other English derivatives from this root are "pugnacious," meaning "belligerent," and "impugn," meaning "to assail with words or arguments." Even "pungent" is a relative of "pugnare." Therefore, don't try to repugn, or impugn for that matter, the influence of "pugnare" on our language -- lest you appear pugnacious!

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