Definition of opposite in English:
opposite
See synonyms for oppositeTranslate opposite into Spanish
adjective
1attributive Having a position on the other or further side of something; facing something, especially something of the same type.
- ‘a crowd gathered on the opposite side of the street’
- 1.1postpositive Facing the speaker or a specified person or thing.
- ‘he went into the store opposite’
- 1.2Botany (of leaves or shoots) arising in opposed pairs, one on each side of the stem.
2Diametrically different; of a contrary kind.
‘a word that is opposite in meaning to another’- ‘currents flowing in opposite directions’
conflicting, contrasting, incompatible, irreconcilable, inconsistent, antithetical, converse, contradictory, clashing, contrary, at variance, at odds, different, differing, divergent, dissimilar, unlike, unalike, disagreeing, opposed, opposing, poles apart, polar, obverseView synonyms- 2.1attributive Being the other of a contrasted pair.
- ‘the opposite ends of the price range’
Pronunciation
noun
A person or thing that is totally different from or the reverse of someone or something else.
‘we were opposites in temperament’- ‘the literal is the opposite of the figurative’
reverse, converse, antithesis, contrary, inverse, obverse, contradictionView synonyms
Pronunciation
adverb
In a position facing a specified or implied subject.
- ‘she was sitting almost opposite’
Pronunciation
preposition
1In a position on the other side of a specific area from; facing.
- ‘they sat opposite one another’
2(of a leading actor) in a complementary role to (another)
- ‘the star was a young man playing opposite an older woman’
Pronunciation
Phrases
- opposites attract
Used to explain the phenomenon of dissimilar people taking a strong or romantic interest in each other.
‘clearly, opposites attract, but fortunately, the film doesn't follow typical romantic movie conventions’- ‘would such opposites attract, or would these two conflicting musical spirits lock horns and fight it out?’
Women in relation to men or vice versa.
- ‘he is a shy guy who finds communication with the opposite sex complicated’
Origin
Late Middle English via Old French from Latin oppositus, past participle of opponere ‘set against’.
Are You Learning English? Here Are Our Top English Tips