benægte

Benægte is a Danish verb meaning to deny or refute a statement, claim, or fact. It is used to convey that someone rejects the truth of something, often in a direct or emphatic way. The verb is transitive and can take a direct object (Han benægter det) or a clause introduced by at (Han benægter, at han har gjort det).

Conjugation and forms: Infinitive benægte; present tense benægter; past tense benægtede; past participle benægtet; present participle benægtende. In usage, the present form is common in everyday speech, while the past form is used for statements about past events. The verb can appear in various constructions, including negating a claim or denying involvement.

Etymology and cognates: Benægte belongs to the Danish branch of the Germanic language family. It has cognates in other Scandinavian languages, such as Norwegian benekte and Swedish förneka, which share a similar meaning and roots.

Related forms and usage notes: The noun form benægtelse means denial, while benægtende can function as an adjective meaning denying or repellent, and as a present participle in certain constructions. Benægte is typically stronger than merely questioning a claim; it explicitly refutes or rejects it.

Examples:

- Han benægter alt. (He denies everything.)

- Hun benægtede, at hun havde været til mødet. (She denied that she had attended the meeting.)

- Deres benægtelse af påstanden kom senere. (Their denial of the claim came later.)

See also: afvise (to reject), afkræfte (to disprove).