refutar
verbCEFR B2
What does “refutar” mean in English?
to refute, to rebut
to refute, to rebut (refutar un argumento — demonstrating that a claim is false or invalid through evidence or counter-reasoning; stronger than cuestionar)
Example sentences
El ponente refutó cada uno de los argumentos presentados por el oponente citando estudios recientes.
The speaker refuted each argument presented by the opponent by citing recent studies.
Para refutar esta hipótesis no basta con expresar desacuerdo: hacen falta datos concretos que la contradigan.
To refute this hypothesis, expressing disagreement is not enough: concrete data that contradicts it is needed.
Los argumentos presentados son difíciles de refutar si se examina la evidencia disponible con rigor.
The arguments presented are hard to refute if the available evidence is examined with rigour.
How to use it
Refutar means 'to refute' or 'to rebut' — demonstrating that a claim is false or logically invalid. It is the strongest counter-argument verb at B2: stronger than cuestionar (question/challenge) and stronger than desmentir (contradict). The frame is 'refutar + noun object' (refutar un argumento, refutar una tesis) or 'refutar que + subjunctive' (refutar que sea cierto). It typically requires the speaker to provide counter-evidence or counter-reasoning, not just express disagreement.
Common mistake
Refutar is often confused with rechazar (to reject). Rechazar is emotional/procedural dismissal; refutar is logical/evidential disproof. You can rechazar something you find offensive; you refutar something you can logically demolish. Also: refutar que + subjunctive (not indicative) — it triggers subjunctive as a negated assertion.