OPPOSITE Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'opposite' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of opposite are antithetical , contradictory , and contrary . While all these words 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

Q: When is it sensible to use 'antithetical' instead of 'opposite'?

While the synonyms antithetical and opposite are close in meaning, antithetical stresses clear and unequivocal diametrical opposition. // a law that is antithetical to the very idea of democracy

Q: Where would 'contradictory' be a reasonable alternative to 'opposite'?

The words contradictory and opposite can be used in similar contexts, but 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

Q: When is 'contrary' a more appropriate choice than 'opposite'?

The meanings of contrary and opposite largely overlap; however, contrary implies extreme divergence or diametrical opposition. // contrary assessments of the war situation

opposite 1 of 2

adjective

ˈä-pə-zət

Definition of opposite

as in contradictory

being as different as possible those two are fundamentally opposite—she being loquacious and outgoing where he is quiet and reserved

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

opposite

2 of 2

noun

as in contrary

something that is as different as possible from something else no matter what I say, you insist on the opposite

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective opposite differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of opposite are antithetical, contradictory, and contrary. While all these words 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

When is it sensible to use antithetical instead of opposite?

While the synonyms antithetical and opposite are close in meaning, antithetical stresses clear and unequivocal diametrical opposition.

a law that is antithetical to the very idea of democracy

Where would contradictory be a reasonable alternative to opposite?

The words contradictory and opposite can be used in similar contexts, but 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

When is contrary a more appropriate choice than opposite?

The meanings of contrary and opposite largely overlap; however, contrary implies extreme divergence or diametrical opposition.

contrary assessments of the war situation

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of opposite

Adjective

Kotch and Parnevik, as the negligently canoodling counselors, inspire the opposite reaction as two characters whose destiny is inevitable and earned. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026 The sea level changes would be equal but opposite between hemispheres — sea level rises on one side of one hemisphere would be matched by rises on the other side of the opposite hemisphere, creating a 'quadrupolar' effect. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Noun

The best approach might be the opposite—using cryptographic technologies like C2PA to label real images, video, and audio as they are created. — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 7 Oct. 2026 The neighbourhood/area Cultural, with the Prado Museum next door and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum opposite. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for opposite

Recent Examples of Synonyms for opposite

Adjective

Students argue over texts, challenge interpretations, introduce contradictory evidence, and question one another’s reasoning.

— Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
Briscoe, for instance, has found that in neural-tube patterning there are two ways of reaching the same place in the landscape — a finding that reconciled previously contradictory observations.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of contradictory

Noun

San Francisco receiver Deebo Samuel took the ball from quarterback Brock Purdy but then flipped it to Jacob Cowing on a reverse.

— Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 2026
Freeman slid a clever reverse pass into Reyna’s path, and Reyna’s cross was spilled by Rangel, right into the path of Hall for a tap-in.

— Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of reverse

Noun

The tension between intellectual certainty and its corporeal obverse is the novel’s most interesting possibility, yet its campus plot repeatedly narrows into a question of who deserves our sympathy.

— Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Only one thing gave Ruiz the kind of consolation that was truly the obverse of his physical pains, and that was the sacred figure of the Virgin Mary.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of obverse

Browse Nearby Words

opposing

opposite

oppositely

See all Nearby Words

Articles Related to opposite

Uncommon Opposites

Word Matters, Episode 86

Which Word Does Not Belong?

For each set of words, can you tell which one is not a synonym of all the others?

Words That are Their Own Opposites

Cite this Entry

Style

“Opposite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opposite. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of opposite

adjective

noun

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Uncommon Opposites

Which Word Does Not Belong?

Words That are Their Own Opposites

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes