Home US English opposite

Definition of opposite in English:

opposite

Pronunciation /ˈäpəzət/ /ˈɑpəzət/

See synonyms for opposite

Translate 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’
    facing, face to face with, across from
    facing, opposing
    View synonyms
    1. 1.1postpositive Facing the speaker or a specified person or thing.
      • ‘he went into the store opposite’
    2. 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, obverse
    View synonyms
    1. 2.1attributive Being the other of a contrasted pair.
      • ‘the opposite ends of the price range’

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, contradiction
    View synonyms

adverb

  • In a position facing a specified or implied subject.

    • ‘she was sitting almost opposite’

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’

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?’
    the opposite sex

    • 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’.