MEANING
To call into question the truth, validity, integrity, or character of something or someone.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- impugn motives
- impugn credibility
On the page
The advocate impugned her motives without addressing the measurements.
He would not impugn the witness’s integrity on the strength of a rumor.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- impugn
- Past tense
- impugned
- Past participle
- impugned
- Present participle
- impugning
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- impugn
- Present continuous
- am/is/are impugning
- Present perfect
- have/has impugned
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been impugning
- Past
- impugned
- Past continuous
- was/were impugning
- Past perfect
- had impugned
- Past perfect continuous
- had been impugning
- Future
- will impugn
- Future continuous
- will be impugning
- Future perfect
- will have impugned
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been impugning
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: impugn; impugns; impugned; impugned; impugning Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: impugns.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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