Impeach1. (v. t.) To hinder; to impede; to prevent.
2. (v. t.) To charge with a crime or misdemeanor; to accuse; especially to charge (a public officer), before a competent tribunal, with misbehavior in office; to cite before a tribunal for judgment of official misconduct; to arraign; as, to impeach a judge. See Impeachment.
3. (v. t.) Hence, to charge with impropriety; to dishonor; to bring discredit on; to call in question; as, to impeach one's motives or conduct.
4. (v. t.) To challenge or discredit the credibility of, as of a witness, or the validity of, as of commercial paper.
5. (n.) Hindrance; impeachment.
Thesaurus Entries
accuse, allege, anathematize, anathemize, animadvert on, arraign, article, asperse, attack, belittle, blame, book, bring accusation, bring charges, bring to book, call into question, call to account, cast aspersions on, cast blame upon, cast reflection upon, censure, challenge, charge, cite, complain, complain against, condemn, criminate, cry down, cry out against, cry out on, cry shame upon, damn, declaim, decry, denounce, denunciate, deprecate, discredit, disparage, fasten on, fasten upon, file a claim, finger, fulminate against, hang something on, have up, implicate, imply, impugn, impute, incriminate, inculpate, indict, inform against, inform on, insinuate, inveigh against, lay charges, lodge a complaint, lodge a plaint, malign, pin on, prefer charges, press charges, pull up, put on report, reflect upon, report, reprehend, reproach, reprobate, shake up, slander, take to task, task, taunt with, tax, twit, vilify