Verb

entgegnen

Translation

to reply, to retort, to counter, to answer

Er entgegnete, dass er keine Zeit habe.

He replied that he had no time.

Was soll ich darauf entgegnen?

What should I reply to that?

„Das stimmt nicht!“, entgegnete sie.

'That's not true!', she retorted.

((j-m)) ((et4)) entgegnen to reply sth. to sb. Er entgegnete mir, dass er keine Zeit habe.

((auf+4)) entgegnen to reply to sth. Sie entgegnete auf die Kritik.

antworten (to answer), erwidern (to retort); Antonyms: fragen (to ask), schweigen (to be silent)

From `entgegen` (against, toward). The sense is to 'meet' a statement with a reply.

Think of a verbal counter-attack. You are meeting (`begegnen`) their words with your own (`entgegnen`).