Leugnen

Leugnen is a German verb meaning to deny or refuse to acknowledge the truth of something. It is a regular weak verb and is used to reject claims, statements, or evidence.

Conjugation and grammar: in the present tense it appears as ich leugne, du leugnest, er leugnet, wir leugnen, ihr leugnet, sie leugnen. The simple past forms are ich leugnete, du leugnetest, er leugnete, wir leugneten, ihr leugnetet, sie leugneten. The past participle is geleugnet, and the perfect tense is formed with haben: ich habe geleugnet, du hast geleugnet, er hat geleugnet, etc. The noun form is die Leugnung (the denial); der Leugner means a denier.

Usage and nuance: leugnen is transitive and typically used with a direct object, as in eine Behauptung leugnen (to deny a claim) or die Tatsachen leugnen (to deny the facts). It conveys a straightforward rejection of asserted statements, often in response to scrutiny, evidence, or accusations. It is distinct from lügen (to lie): leugnen refers to denying truth, whereas lügen refers to making false statements.

Context and related terms: in legal, political, and media contexts leugnen may appear in discussions of claims, allegations, or scientific findings. Related verbs include bestreiten (to dispute, to challenge) and ablehnen (to reject). The act of denial can be followed by phrases such as die Behauptung leugnen, die Vorwürfe leugnen, or die Ergebnisse leugnen.

Examples: Der Angeklagte leugnet die Vorwürfe. Die Regierung leugnet die Enthüllungen. Die Leugnung der Ergebnisse stieß auf Kritik.