Dictionary Definition
opposite 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: 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, polar]
Noun
1 two words that express opposing concepts; "to
him the opposite of gay was depressed" [syn: antonym, opposite
word]
2 a relation of direct opposition; "we thought
Sue was older than Bill but just the reverse was true" [syn:
reverse, contrary]
3 a contestant that you are matched against [syn:
opposition, opponent]
4 something inverted in sequence or character or
effect; "when the direct approach failed he tried the inverse"
[syn: inverse] adv :
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]
User Contributed Dictionary
Pronunciation
- (UK): /ˈɒpəzɪt/, /"Qp@zIt/
- (US): /ˈɑpəzɪt/, /"Ap@zIt/
Adjective
Derived terms
Translations
located directly across from
- Arabic:
- Chinese: 对面的 (duìmiàn de)
- Czech: druhý, opačný
- Dutch: tegenoverliggend, tegenovergesteld
- Finnish: vastapäinen
- French: opposé
- German: gegenüberliegend, andere
- Hebrew:
- Hungarian: szembenlevő, túlsó
- Italian: opposto
- Japanese: 反対の (はんたいの, hantai no), 逆くの (ぎゃくの, gyaku no)
- Korean: 반대의 (bandae-ui)
- Portuguese: oposto
- Russian: противоположный (protivopolóžnyj)
- Spanish: opuesto
- Swedish: motsatt
facing the other way
- Czech: opačný
- Finnish: vastakkainen
- German: entgegengesetzt
- Hebrew:
- Hungarian: ellentétes
of complementary or mutually exclusive things
- Arabic:
- Czech: opačný
- Dutch: tegenovergestelde
- Finnish: vastakkainen
- German: andere
- Japanese: あべこべな
- ttbc Dutch: tegengesteld
Noun
Derived terms
Translations
contrary thing
- Czech: protiklad
- Dutch: tegenovergestelde
- Finnish: vastakohta
- French: contraire
- Japanese: あべこべ
- Telugu: వ్యతిరేకం (vyatireakam)
opponent
antonym
- Dutch: tegenovergestelde
- Finnish: antonyymi, vastakohta
- French: contraire
- German: Gegenteil
- Hebrew:
- Telugu: వ్యతిరేక పదం (vyatireaka padam)
Adverb
opposite- in an opposite position
- I was on my seat and she stood opposite.
Translations
in an opposite position
- Dutch: tegenover
- Finnish: vastapäätä
- German: gegenüber
- Japanese: あべこべに (abekobe ni)
Preposition
opposite- facing, or across from
- He lives opposite the pub.
- in a complementary role to
- He played opposite Marilyn Monroe.
Translations
across from
- Czech: naproti, proti
- Dutch: tegenover
- Finnish: vastapäätä
- French: en face de
- German: gegenüber
in a complementary role to
- Finnish: genitive + vastanäyttelijänä
See also
Extensive Definition
Opposite may refer to:
- Antonym, a word that means the opposite of a word
- a kind of arrangement of leaves
- Additive inverse, in mathematics, taking the negative ("opposite") of a number
- Opposite category or dual category, in category theory
- In trigonometry on a right angle triangle, opposite can mean the opposite side, or side not forming the angle being investigated.
- The Opposites, a Dutch rap band.
See also
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
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