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verb

entkräften

refute

Etwas so erklären oder beweisen, dass es nicht mehr als richtig oder gültig gilt.

Definition & meaning

The verb entkräften has two primary meanings in German, one physical and one abstract:

  1. To weaken or exhaust physically: It refers to the process of depriving a person or an organism of their physical strength or energy. This is often used in medical contexts or when describing extreme fatigue.
  2. To invalidate or refute: In an argumentative or legal context, it means to prove that a statement, a theory, an argument, or a suspicion is false or lacks foundation. When you "entkräften" an argument, you take away its "force" or validity.

Grammar & Word origin

The word is a weak verb (regelmāßiges Verb). Its principal parts are:

  • Präsens: ich entkräfte, du entkräftest, er/sie/es entkräftet
  • Präteritum: ich entkräftete
  • Partizip II: entkräftet

The word is composed of three parts:

  • ent-: A prefix that often denotes a removal, a deprivation, or an undoing.
  • Kraft: The noun meaning "strength," "force," or "power."
  • -en: The standard suffix used to form verbs in German.

Literally, the word means "to take the strength away from something."

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms (Physical weakening):

  • schwächen
  • erschöpfen
  • auslaugen

Synonyms (Refuting/Invalidating):

  • widerlegen
  • ungültig machen [?](vocabuo://word/ungültig machen)
  • nichtig machen [?](vocabuo://word/nichtig machen)
  • entlarven

Antonyms (Physical strengthening):

Antonyms (Confirming/Validating):

  • beweisen
  • bestätigen
  • untermauern
  • bekräftigen

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Examples

Der Anwalt möchte die Behauptung entkräften.verb

The lawyer wants to refute the claim.

Jemand versucht, diese Aussage zu entkräften.verb

Someone is trying to refute this statement.

Können Sie die neuen Beweise im nächsten Gespräch endlich entkräften?verb

Can you finally refute the new evidence in the next conversation?

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