recant en · VERB · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ɹəˈkænt/
Etymology
First attested in 1535, from Latin recantare (“to sing back, reecho, sing again, repeat in singing, recant, recall, revoke, charm back or away”), from re- (“back”) + canto (“to chant, to sing”), frequentative of cano.
Meanings
-
(ambitransitive) To withdraw or repudiate a statement or opinion formerly expressed, especially formally and publicly.
But as Mr. Trump denounces what he describes as failures by the Washington establishment on China, Mr. Biden, an avatar of that establishment, is not recanting his past enthusiasm for engagement.
2020 September 6, “Joe Biden’s China Journey”, in New York Times:Convince me that I am wrong, and I will recant.
How soon […] ease would recant / Vows made in pain, as violent and void!
1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| recanting | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| recants | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| recanted | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| recanted | Tense=Past | lexicographic |
Antonyms
stand one's ground · affirm · aver · maintain · double down · uphold · stand firm
Deriveds
recantable · unrecanted · recantingly
Hypernyms
speak · change one's mind · repudiate · negate · think better of · rescind
Relateds
recall · revoke · recanter · contradict · recantation
Synonyms
withcall · withcall · revoke · revoke · eat one's words · abjure · recall · recant · unsay · disown · retract · disavow · retract · take back · walk back · swallow · take back · withdraw · unspeak · recall · unsay · backpedal · disavow · abjure · disown
Translations (30)
fi muuttaa lausuntoaan (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · el αποκηρύσσω (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · bg отмятам се (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · el παλινωδώ (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · sh poreći (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · bg отричам се (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · ru отрека́ться (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · th ถอนคำ (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · sh opozvati (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · mi whakakore (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · nl terugtrekken (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · is draga til baka (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · is taka aftur (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · cs odvolat (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · nl intrekken (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · fi perua puheensa (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · fr retirer (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · fr rétracter (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · cmn 撤回 (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · th กลับคำ (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · es retractarse (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · th คืนคำ (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · de zurückziehen (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · th ถอนคำพูด (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · de widerrufen (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · nb dementere (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · de zurücknehmen (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · el αναιρώ (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · fr se rétracter (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly) · fi vetää takaisin (to withdraw or repudiate formally and publicly)