opposite

(ŏp'ə-zĭt)
adj.

1. Placed or located directly across from something else or from each other: opposite sides of a building.
2. Facing the other way; moving or tending away from each other: opposite directions.
3. Being the other of two complementary or mutually exclusive things: the opposite sex; an opposite role to the lead in the play.
4. 1. Altogether different, as in nature, quality, or significance: The effect of the medication was opposite to that intended.
   2. Sharply contrasting; antithetical: had opposite views on the subject.
5. Botany. Growing in pairs on either side of a stem: opposite leaves.

n.

1. One that is opposite or contrary to another.
2. An opponent or antagonist.
3. An antonym.

adv.
In an opposite position: They sat opposite at the table.

prep.

1. Across from or facing: parked the car opposite the bank.
2. In a complementary dramatic role to: He played opposite her.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin oppositus, past participle of oppōnere, oppose. See oppose.]

oppositely op'po·site·ly adv.
oppositeness op'po·site·ness n.

SYNONYMS   opposite, contrary, antithetical, contradictory. These adjectives mean marked by a natural or innate and irreconcilable opposition. Two things that are altogether different are opposite: Antonyms are words of opposite meaning. "It is said that opposite characters make a union happiest" (Charles Reade). Contrary stresses extreme divergence: Democrats and Republicans often hold contrary opinions. Antithetical emphasizes diametrical opposition: engaged in practices entirely antithetical to their professed beliefs. Contradictory implies denial or inconsistency: "contradictory attributes of unjust justice and loving vindictiveness" (John Morley).

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As an adjective denoting position, opposite is followed by to (Two people directly opposite to each other); it is also used with the same meaning as a preposition without to (Two people directly opposite each other). As a noun, opposite is followed by of (The effect was the opposite of what they intended).

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adjective

Diametrically opposed: antipodal, antipodean, antithetical, antonymic, antonymous, contradictory, contrary, converse², counter, diametric, diametrical, opposing, polar, reverse. See support/oppose.

noun

That which is diametrically opposed to another: antipode, antipodes, antithesis, antonym, contrary, converse², counter, reverse. Logic contradictory, contrapositive. See support/oppose.

adj

Definition: unlike, conflicting; completely different
Antonyms: compatible, identical, like, same, similar

n

Definition: something completely unlike another
Antonyms: alikeness, likeness, same, sameness, similarity

A term used to describe parts such as leaves that are arranged in pairs along a stem or shoot. See also alternate.

IN BRIEF: One that is contrary to another.

A peace that comes from fear and not from the heart is the opposite of peace. — Levi ben Gershon (1288-1344), Jewish philosopher, astronomer, mathematician, called Gersonides.

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sign description: Both index fingers begin together and then are pulled apart.

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Quotes:

"Light is meaningful only in relation to darkness, and truth presupposes error. It is these mingled opposites which people our life, which make it pungent, intoxicating. We only exist in terms of this conflict, in the zone where black and white clash." - Louis Aragon

"The world is not dialectical -- it is sworn to extremes, not to equilibrium, sworn to radical antagonism, not to reconciliation or synthesis. This is also the principle of evil." - Jean Baudrillard

"Without contraries is no progression. Attraction and repulsion, reason and energy, love and hate, are necessary to human existence." - William Blake

"The beginning, middle, and end of the birth, growth, and perfection of whatever we behold is from contraries, by contraries, and to contraries; and whatever contrariety is, there is action and reaction, there is motion, diversity, multitude, and order, there are degrees, succession and vicissitude." - Giordano Bruno

"Every sweet has its sour; every evil its good." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The dictate of the light says: Know yourself and what you are. The dark replies, By all means, but then become afraid." - Tanith Lee

See more famous quotes about Opposites

For a list of words related to opposite, see:

• Prepositions
• Comparisons
• Relative Positions - opposite: (adj) situated across from or at the other side of an intervening space

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See words rhyming with "opposite."

Common misspelling(s) of opposite

• oposite

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - modsat
n. - modsætning
adv. - overfor
prep. - over for

idioms:

• opposite number    kollega
• opposite sex    det modsatte køn

Nederlands (Dutch)
tegenovergesteld, omgekeerd, aan de overkant, tegenovergestelde, tegengestelde

Français (French)
adj. - opposé, d'en face, ci-contre, inverse, l'autre (sexe)
n. - contraire, inverse
adv. - en face, vis à vis
prep. - en face de, (Naut) devant (port), (Sport) l'un contre (l'autre), (Cin, Théât) se donner la réplique

idioms:

• opposite number    (gén, Pol) homologue, (Sport) adversaire
• the opposite sex    le sexe opposé

Deutsch (German)
adj. - entgegengesetzt, gegenüberliegend
adv. - gegenüber
n. - Gegenteil
prep. - gegenüber

idioms:

• opposite number    Pendant
• the opposite sex    das andere Geschlecht

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - αντίθετος, αντικρινός, απέναντι, αντίστοιχος, ομόλογος
adv. - απέναντι, αντίκρυ
n. - αντίθετο, αντίστοιχο
prep. - απέναντι από

idioms:

• opposite number    ομόλογος, αντίστοιχος σε βαθμό ή σε θέση
• opposite sex    (το) άλλο φύλο

Italiano (Italian)
di fronte, davanti, in faccia a, dirimpetto, contrario

idioms:

• opposite number    l'omologo
• opposite sex    l'altro sesso

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - oposto, contrário, fronteiro
adv. - de fronte, frente a frente
n. - oposto, o contrário, adversário
prep. - defronte, em frente de

idioms:

• opposite number    número oposto
• opposite sex    sexo oposto

Русский (Russian)
напротив, противоположный, обратный, противоположность

idioms:

• opposite number    человек, занимающий ту же должность
• opposite sex    противоположный пол

Español (Spanish)
adj. - opuesto, contrario, inverso, de enfrente
n. - lo contrario, lo opuesto
adv. - enfrente, al otro lado, en situación opuesta
prep. - frente a, enfrente de

idioms:

• opposite number    colega, contraparte, homólogo
• the opposite sex    sexo opuesto, el otro sexo

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - (belägen) mitt emot, motsatt, motstående
adv. - mitt emot
n. - motsats
prep. - mitt emot

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
相对的, 对立的, 对面的, 对立面, 对立物, 在对面, 在对过, 在...对面

idioms:

• opposite number    对应等的人或物
• opposite sex    异性

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 相對的, 對立的, 對面的
n. - 對立面, 對立物
adv. - 在對面, 在對過
prep. - 在...對面

idioms:

• opposite number    對應等的人或物
• opposite sex    異性

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 마주보고있는, 상반하는
n. - 정반대의 일, 상대
adv. - 정반대의 위치에
prep. - ~의 맞은편에

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 反対側の, 対生の, 逆の, 正反対の, 向こう側の
n. - 正反対の事物, 反対の人
adv. - 正反対の位置に, 通りの向こうで
prep. - 反対の位置に, 相手役で

idioms:

• opposite number    対等者, 対等の地位にある人
• opposite sex    異性

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) مقابل (ظرف) معاكس (الاسم) عكس, نقيض (حرف جر) مقابل, أمام‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮מנוגד, נגדי, ממול, הפוך‬
n. - ‮היפך, ניגוד‬
adv. - ‮מול‬
prep. - ‮מול, בתפקיד משלים ל-‬

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