Adjacent Words

Opposite definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

OP'POSITE, a. [L. oppositus.]
1. Standing or situated in front; facing; as an edifice opposite to the Exchange. Brooklyn lies opposite to New York, or on the opposite side of the river.
2. Adverse; repugnant.
- Novels, by which the reader is misled into another sort of pleasure opposite to that designed in an epic poem.
3. Contrary; as words of opposite significations; opposite terms. The medicine had an effect opposite to what was expected.
4. In botany, growing in pairs, each pair decussated or crossing that above and below it; as opposite leaves or branches.
OP'POSITE, n.
1. An opponent; an adversary; an enemy; an antagonist.
2. That which is opposed or contrary.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: being directly across from each other; facing; "And I on the opposite shore will be, ready to ride and spread the alarm"- Longfellow; "we lived on opposite sides of the street"; "at opposite poles"
2: of leaves etc; growing in pairs on either side of a stem; "opposite leaves" [syn: opposite, paired] [ant: alternate]
3: moving or facing away from each other; "looking in opposite directions"; "they went in opposite directions"
4: the other one of a complementary pair; "the opposite sex"; "the two chess kings are set up on squares of opposite colors"
5: altogether different in nature or quality or significance; "the medicine's effect was opposite to that intended"; "it is said that opposite characters make a union happiest"- Charles Reade
6: characterized by opposite extremes; completely opposed; "in diametric contradiction to his claims"; "diametrical (or opposite) points of view"; "opposite meanings"; "extreme and indefensible polar positions" [syn: diametric, diametrical, opposite, polar] n
1: a word that expresses a meaning opposed to the meaning of another word, in which case the two words are antonyms of each other; "to him the antonym of `gay' was `depressed'" [syn: antonym, opposite word, opposite] [ant: equivalent word, synonym]
2: a relation of direct opposition; "we thought Sue was older than Bill but just the reverse was true" [syn: reverse, contrary, opposite]
3: a contestant that you are matched against [syn: opposition, opponent, opposite]
4: something inverted in sequence or character or effect; "when the direct approach failed he tried the inverse" [syn: inverse, opposite] adv
1: directly facing each other; "the two photographs lay face-to-face on the table"; "lived all their lives in houses face-to-face across the street"; "they sat opposite at the table" [syn: face-to-face, opposite]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin oppositus, past participle of opponere Date: 14th century 1. a. set over against something that is at the other end or side of an intervening line or space <opposite interior angles> <opposite ends of a diameter> b. situated in pairs on an axis with each member being separated from the other by half the circumference of the axis <opposite leaves> — compare alternate 2. a. occupying an opposing and often antagonistic position <opposite sides of the question> b. diametrically different (as in nature or character) <opposite meanings> 3. contrary to one another or to a thing specified ; reverse <gave them opposite directions> 4. being the other of a pair that are corresponding or complementary in position, function, or nature <members of the opposite sex> 5. of, relating to, or being the side of a baseball field that is near the first base line for a right-handed batter and near the third base line for a left-handed batter • oppositely adverb • oppositeness noun Synonyms: opposite, contradictory, contrary, antithetical mean being so far apart as to be or seem irreconcilable. opposite applies to things in sharp contrast or in conflict <opposite views on foreign aid>. contradictory applies to two things that completely negate each other so that if one is true or valid the other must be untrue or invalid <made contradictory predictions about whether the market would rise or fall>. contrary implies extreme divergence or diametrical opposition <contrary assessments of the war situation>. antithetical stresses clear and unequivocal diametrical opposition <a law that is antithetical to the very idea of democracy>. II. noun Date: 15th century 1. something that is opposed to some other often specified thing 2. antonym 3. additive inverse; especially the additive inverse of a real number III. adverb Date: 1667 on or to an opposite side IV. preposition Date: 1758 1. across from and usually facing or on the same level with <sat opposite each other> 2. in a role complementary to <played opposite the leading man in the comedy>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj., n., adv., & prep. --adj. 1 (often foll. by to) having a position on the other or further side, facing or back to back. 2 (often foll. by to, from) a of a contrary kind; diametrically different. b being the other of a contrasted pair. 3 (of angles) between opposite sides of the intersection of two lines. 4 Bot. (of leaves etc.) placed at the same height on the opposite sides of the stem, or placed straight in front of another organ. --n. an opposite thing or person or term. --adv. 1 in an opposite position (the tree stands opposite). 2 (of a leading theatrical etc. part) in a complementary role to (another performer). --prep. in a position opposite to (opposite the house is a tree). Phrases and idioms: opposite number a person holding an equivalent position in another group or organization. opposite prompt the side of a theatre stage usually to an actor's right. the opposite sex women in relation to men or vice versa. Derivatives: oppositely adv. oppositeness n. Etymology: ME f. OF f. L oppositus past part. of opponere: see OPPONENT

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Opposite Op"po*site, a. [F., fr. L. oppositus, p. p. of opponere. See Opponent.] 1. Placed over against; standing or situated over against or in front; facing; -- often with to; as, a house opposite to the Exchange. 2. Applied to the other of two things which are entirely different; other; as, the opposite sex; the opposite extreme. 3. Extremely different; inconsistent; contrary; repugnant; antagonistic. Novels, by which the reader is misled into another sort of pieasure opposite to that which is designed in an epic poem. --Dryden. Particles of speech have divers, and sometimes almost opposite, significations. --Locke. 4. (Bot.) (a) Set over against each other, but separated by the whole diameter of the stem, as two leaves at the same node. (b) Placed directly in front of another part or organ, as a stamen which stands before a petal.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Opposite Op"po*site, n. 1. One who opposes; an opponent; an antagonist. [Obs.] The opposites of this day's strife. --Shak. 2. That which is opposed or contrary; as, sweetness and its opposite. The virtuous man meets with more opposites and opponents than any other. --Landor.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(opposites) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. If one thing is opposite another, it is on the other side of a space from it. Jennie had sat opposite her at breakfast. PREP • Opposite is also an adverb. He looked up at the buildings opposite, but could see no open window... ADV: usu n ADV, ADV after v 2. The opposite side or part of something is the side or part that is furthest away from you. ...the opposite corner of the room. = far ADJ: ADJ n 3. Opposite is used to describe things of the same kind which are completely different in a particular way. For example, north and south are opposite directions, and winning and losing are opposite results in a game. All the cars driving in the opposite direction had their headlights on... I should have written the notes in the opposite order... ADJ: usu ADJ n, also v-link ADJ to n, v-link ADJ 4. The opposite of someone or something is the person or thing that is most different from them. Ritter was a very complex man but Marius was the opposite, a simple farmer... Well, whatever he says you can bet he's thinking the opposite... N-COUNT: usu the N, oft the N of n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Facing, over against, fronting. 2. Contrary, diverse, unlike, incompatible, inconsistent, irreconcilable. 3. Adverse, opposed, opposing, antagonistic, hostile, inimical, repugnant.

Moby Thesaurus

across, adversary, adversative, adverse, adversive, against, alien, antagonistic, anti, antipathetic, antipodal, antipode, antipodean, antipodes, antipole, antithesis, antithetic, antithetical, antonym, antonymous, at cross-purposes, at opposite extremes, back to back, balancing, clashing, compensating, competitive, con, conflicting, confronting, contra, contradictory, contradistinct, contrapositive, contrarious, contrariwise, contrary, contrary to, contrast, contrasted, contrasting, converse, counter, counteractive, counterbalance, counterbalancing, countercheck, counterpoint, counterpoise, counterpoised, counterpole, counterterm, countervailing, cross, dead against, detrimental, different, differing, difficult, disaccordant, discordant, discrepant, dissentient, dissimilar, divergent, diverse, enemy, eyeball to eyeball, eyeball-to-eyeball, face to face, facing, foil, fractious, fronting, hard, harmful, hostile, in contact with, in contrast with, in front of, in opposition, in opposition to, inconsistent, independent, inimical, inverse, irreconcilable, just opposite, miserable, negative, noncooperative, nose to nose, not easy, obstinate, obverse, offset, on, opponent, opposed, opposing, opposite number, opposite to, oppositional, oppositive, oppugnant, over against, overthwart, perverse, polar, polaric, polarized, poles apart, recalcitrant, refractory, replica, repugnant, reverse, rigorous, rival, separate, setoff, sinister, squared off, stressful, the contrary, the other side, to, toward, troublesome, troublous, trying, unalike, unconnected, uncooperative, unfavorable, unfriendly, unlike, unpropitious, unrelated, unsimilar, untoward, up against, upon, versus, vis-a-vis, wretched