noun

• 1Someone who competes against or fights another in a contest, game, or argument; a rival or adversary.

  ‘he beat his opponent by a landslide margin’

  More example sentences

  • ‘In both contests Webb stopped his opponents in the first round with an awesome display of punching.’
  • ‘If successful, the bidders win the whole game; if not their opponents win the game.’
  • ‘Then they allowed their opponents back into the game to snatch victory with two late goals.’
  • ‘You only have to look at the reaction of your opponents when they do beat you, and how elated they are.’
  • ‘We have played against big teams and great players and have beaten strong opponents.’
  • ‘He did drop the opening frame to an opponent who had beaten him at the Welsh Open back in January.’
  • ‘He always tried to beat his opponents before the fight had even started through intimidation.’
  • ‘Like the wrestler who takes time from beating his opponent to show off to the crowd, it was a sign of confidence.’
  • ‘Our target is to win the tournament by dominating all opponents in every facet of the game.’
  • ‘This amendment was not opposed by Waters at the trial, and was not opposed by any other opponent.’
  • ‘These clues apparently help him to work out how to beat each and every opponent.’
  • ‘When a fighter steps into the ring, his aim is to hurt his opponent more than his opponent hurts him.’
  • ‘My only objective was not to give my opponent any easy chances to come back into the game.’
  • ‘Even though their opponents scored a seven on the 14th, the game was never in doubt.’
  • ‘What I want is fierce competition in the squad, as well as against our opponents.’
  • ‘People can play the game on the internet with opponents from across the world.’
  • ‘You fight and battle to the end, no matter who the opponent is, because you are honouring the game.’
  • ‘There is an important lesson to be learned from this game, not only for my opponent but for me too.’
  • ‘Ballybrown were the opponents in the final and with the wind behind us we led at halftime.’
  • ‘The first game after the enforced break was a tough encounter against formidable opponents.’

  Synonyms

  rival, adversary, opposer, the opposition, fellow contestant, competitor, fellow competitor, other candidate, other competitor, other contestant, other player, enemy, foe, antagonist, combatant, contender, challenger, critic, dissenter, disputant, objector

  View synonyms

  1. 1.1A person who disagrees with or resists a proposal or practice.
     ‘an opponent of the economic reforms’
     More example sentences

     • ‘the news will delight opponents of GM foods’
     • ‘Most importantly he was a vigorous opponent of giving the Bank of England independence.’
     • ‘An ardent opponent of war, he made a packet from investing in military supplies.’
     • ‘It is more accurate to say he was an opponent of the regime.’
     • ‘He was a lifelong opponent of militarism and oppression, and he became a committed socialist.’
     • ‘He has been lauded as a solitary champion of liberty and censured as the absurd opponent of progress.’
     • ‘Hayden was a prominent opponent of the Vietnam War.’
     • ‘Love and rural life are prominent themes, and he was a consistent opponent of Modernism.’
     • ‘He was an eloquent opponent of the exercise of arbitrary power by governments the world over.’
     • ‘So he has positioned himself as an opponent of free expression and online fun.’
     • ‘He may consider himself to be an opponent of the war, but here too a point must be made.’
     • ‘The most famous opponent of the New Deal was Huey Long, a Senator from Louisiana.’
     Synonyms

     opposer, objector, dissident, dissenter, rejectionist

     View synonyms