opposite


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op·po·site

 (ŏp′ə-zĭt)
adj.
1. Placed or located directly across from something else or from each other: opposite sides of a building.
2. Facing the other way; moving or tending away from each other: opposite directions.
3. Being the other of two complementary or mutually exclusive things: the opposite sex; an opposite role to the lead in the play.
4.
a. Altogether different, as in nature, quality, or significance: The effect of the medication was opposite to that intended.
b. Sharply contrasting; antithetical: had opposite views on the subject.
5. Botany
a. Growing in pairs on either side of a stem: opposite leaves.
b. Arranged on the same radius as another part, as stamens and petals.
n.
1. One that is opposite or contrary to another.
2. An opponent or antagonist.
3. An antonym.
adv.
In an opposite position: They sat opposite at the table.
prep.
1. Across from or facing: parked the car opposite the bank.
2. In a complementary dramatic role to: He played opposite her.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin oppositus, past participle of oppōnere, oppose; see oppose.]

op′po·site·ly adv.
op′po·site·ness n.
Synonyms: opposite, contrary, antithetical, contradictory
These adjectives mean marked by a natural or innate and irreconcilable opposition. Two things that are altogether different are opposite: Antonyms are words of opposite meaning."It is said that opposite characters make a union happiest" (Charles Reade).
Contrary stresses extreme divergence: Democrats and Republicans often hold contrary opinions.
Antithetical emphasizes diametrical opposition: engaged in practices entirely antithetical to their professed beliefs.
Contradictory implies denial or inconsistency: "contradictory attributes of unjust justice and loving vindictiveness" (John Morley).
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

opposite

(ˈɒpəzɪt; -sɪt)
adj
1. situated or being on the other side or at each side of something between: their houses were at opposite ends of the street.
2. facing or going in contrary directions: opposite ways.
3. diametrically different in character, tendency, belief, etc: opposite views.
4. (Botany) botany
a. (of leaves, flowers, etc) arranged in pairs on either side of the stem
b. (of parts of a flower) arranged opposite the middle of another part
5. (Mathematics) maths
a. (of two vertices or sides in an even-sided polygon) separated by the same number of vertices or sides in both a clockwise and anticlockwise direction
b. (of a side in a triangle) facing a specified angle. Abbreviation: opp
n
6. a person or thing that is opposite; antithesis
7. (Mathematics) maths the side facing a specified angle in a right-angled triangle
8. a rare word for opponent
prep
9. Also: opposite to facing; corresponding to (something on the other side of a division): the house opposite ours.
10. (Theatre) as a co-star with: she played opposite Olivier in "Hamlet".
adv
on opposite sides: she lives opposite.
ˈoppositely adv
ˈoppositeness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

op•po•site

(ˈɒp ə zɪt, -sɪt)

adj.
1. situated or lying face to face with something else or each other, or placed in corresponding positions across an intervening line, space, etc.: at opposite ends of a room.
2. contrary or radically different, as in nature, qualities, or significance; opposed: opposite sides in a controversy.
3. being the other of two related or corresponding things: the opposite sex.
4. Bot. situated on diametrically opposed sides of a stem, as leaves occurring in pairs at a node.
5. adverse or inimical.
n.
6. a person or thing that is opposite or contrary.
7. antonym.
prep.
8. across from; facing: to sit opposite the fireplace.
9. in a role parallel or complementary to.
adv.
10. on or to the opposite side: I was at one end and she sat opposite.
[1350–1400; < Middle French < Latin oppositus, past participle of oppōnere to set against]
op′po•site•ly, adv.
op′po•site•ness, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
contrary, converse, opposite, reverse - Contrary describes something that contradicts a proposition, converse is used when the elements of a proposition are reversed, opposite pertains to that which is diametrically opposed to a proposition, and reverse can mean each of those.
See also related terms for reverse.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

opposite

Opposite can be a preposition, a noun, or an adjective.

1. used as a preposition

If one building or room is opposite another, they are separated from each other by a street or corridor.

The hotel is opposite a railway station.
The bathroom was located opposite my room.

If two people are opposite each other, they are facing each other, for example when they are sitting at the same table.

Lynn was sitting opposite him.
He drank half his coffee, still staring at the Englishman opposite him.

Speakers of American English usually say across from rather than 'opposite' in both of the above senses.

Stinson has rented a home across from his parents.
He took a seat on one side of the table, and Judy sat across from him.
2. used as a noun

If two things or people are totally different from each other in some way, you can say that one is the opposite of the other.

The opposite of right is wrong.
He was the exact opposite of Ariel, of course.

You can use the opposite without 'of', if it is clear what you are making a contrast with.

Well, whatever he says you can be sure he's thinking the opposite.
They believe the statement because the opposite is unimaginable.

Be Careful!
You cannot express difference by saying that one thing or person is 'opposite' another.

3. used as an adjective

Opposite can be an adjective either in front of a noun or after a noun, but with different meanings.

You use opposite in front of a noun when you are mentioning one of two sides of something.

I was moved to a room on the opposite side of the corridor.
On the opposite side of the room a telephone rang.

You also use opposite in front of a noun when you are talking about something that is totally different from something else in some way.

Holmes took the opposite point of view.
Too much pressure would produce overheating, whereas too little would produce the opposite result.

You use opposite after a noun when you are mentioning someone or something that is on the other side of a street, corridor, room, or table from yourself.

The elderly woman opposite glanced up at the window.
In one of the new houses opposite, a party was in progress.

A building can be referred to as, for example, 'the house on the opposite side of the street' or 'the house opposite'. Don't refer to it as 'the opposite house'.

4. 'opposed'

Don't confuse opposite with opposed. If someone is opposed to something, they disagree with it or disapprove of it.

I am opposed to capital punishment.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.opposite - a word that expresses a meaning opposed to the meaning of another word, in which case the two words are antonyms of each otheropposite - a word that expresses a meaning opposed to the meaning of another word, in which case the two words are antonyms of each other; "to him the antonym of `gay' was `depressed'"
word - a unit of language that native speakers can identify; "words are the blocks from which sentences are made"; "he hardly said ten words all morning"
direct antonym - antonyms that are commonly associated (e.g., `wet' and `dry')
indirect antonym - antonyms whose opposition is mediated (e.g., the antonymy of `wet' and `parched' is mediated by the similarity of `parched' to `dry')
2.opposite - a relation of direct oppositionopposite - a relation of direct opposition; "we thought Sue was older than Bill but just the reverse was true"
oppositeness, opposition - the relation between opposed entities
3.opposite - a contestant that you are matched againstopposite - a contestant that you are matched against
contestant - a person who participates in competitions
4.opposite - something inverted in sequence or character or effectopposite - something inverted in sequence or character or effect; "when the direct approach failed he tried the inverse"
additive inverse - (mathematics) one of a pair of numbers whose sum is zero; the additive inverse of -5 is +5
multiplicative inverse, reciprocal - (mathematics) one of a pair of numbers whose product is 1: the reciprocal of 2/3 is 3/2; the multiplicative inverse of 7 is 1/7
oppositeness, opposition - the relation between opposed entities
Adj.1.opposite - 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"
other - not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied; "today isn't any other day"- the White Queen; "the construction of highways and other public works"; "he asked for other employment"; "any other person would tell the truth"; "his other books are still in storage"; "then we looked at the other house"; "hearing was good in his other ear"; "the other sex"; "she lived on the other side of the street from me"; "went in the other direction"
2.opposite - of leaves etc; growing in pairs on either side of a stem; "opposite leaves"
phytology, botany - the branch of biology that studies plants
alternate - of leaves and branches etc; first on one side and then on the other in two ranks along an axis; not paired; "stems with alternate leaves"
3.opposite - moving or facing away from each other; "looking in opposite directions"; "they went in opposite directions"
other - not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied; "today isn't any other day"- the White Queen; "the construction of highways and other public works"; "he asked for other employment"; "any other person would tell the truth"; "his other books are still in storage"; "then we looked at the other house"; "hearing was good in his other ear"; "the other sex"; "she lived on the other side of the street from me"; "went in the other direction"
4.opposite - the other one of a complementary pair; "the opposite sex"; "the two chess kings are set up on squares of opposite colors"
other - not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied; "today isn't any other day"- the White Queen; "the construction of highways and other public works"; "he asked for other employment"; "any other person would tell the truth"; "his other books are still in storage"; "then we looked at the other house"; "hearing was good in his other ear"; "the other sex"; "she lived on the other side of the street from me"; "went in the other direction"
5.opposite - 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
different - unlike in nature or quality or form or degree; "took different approaches to the problem"; "came to a different conclusion"; "different parts of the country"; "on different sides of the issue"; "this meeting was different from the earlier one"
6.opposite - 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"
different - unlike in nature or quality or form or degree; "took different approaches to the problem"; "came to a different conclusion"; "different parts of the country"; "on different sides of the issue"; "this meeting was different from the earlier one"
Adv.1.opposite - 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"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

opposite

adjective
1. facing, face to face with, across from, eyeball to eyeball (informal) She sat opposite her at breakfast.
2. facing, other, opposing the opposite side of the room
3. different, conflicting, opposed, contrasted, contrasting, unlike, differing, contrary, diverse, adverse, at odds, contradictory, inconsistent, dissimilar, divergent, irreconcilable, at variance, poles apart, diametrically opposed, antithetical, streets apart Everything he does is opposite to what is considered normal behaviour.
different like, same, similar, matching, uniform, consistent, identical, alike, corresponding
4. rival, conflicting, opposed, opposing, competing, hostile, antagonistic, inimical They fought on opposite sides during the War of Independence.
noun
1. reverse, contrary, converse, antithesis, the other extreme, contradiction, inverse, the other side of the coin (informal), obverse She's very shy, but her sister is quite the opposite.
Proverbs
"Opposites attract"
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

opposite

adjectivenoun
That which is diametrically opposed to another:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
حَرْف جَرعَكْس، نَقيضمُضَادٌمُعَاكِسمُعاكِس، مُضاد، مُتَعاكِس
naprotiopačnýprotiprotikladprotější
modsatover foroverfor
vastapäätävastakkainenvastakohtavastaväittäjävastustaja
na drugoj straninasuprotsuprotan
ellenkezõellentétesszembenszemben levõ
andstæîaandstæîurandstætt, á móti
・・・の向かい側にあべこべあべこべな反対の向かい側に
...의 맞은편에맞은편의반대쪽의반대편에
priešingaspriešpriešavisiškai skirtingas
atšķirīgspretējspretīpretimpretstats
naproti
nasprotennasprotinasprotje
mitt emotmotsatt
ตรงกันข้ามตรงข้ามที่อยู่คนละด้านที่อยู่ตรงกันข้าม
đối diệnngược nhautrái ngược

opposite

[ˈɒpəzɪt]
A. ADVenfrente
I looked at the director, sitting oppositemiré al director que estaba sentado enfrente (de mí)
please fill in the box oppositepor favor, rellene la casilla de al lado
they live directly or immediately oppositeviven justo enfrente
B. PREP (also opposite to)
1. (= across from) → frente a, enfrente de
opposite the libraryfrente a or enfrente de la biblioteca
Lynn was sitting opposite himLynn estaba sentada frente a él or enfrente de él
they sat opposite one anotherse sentaron uno frente a(l) otrose sentaron frente a frente
2. (= next to) → junto a, al lado de
opposite his name was a question markjunto a or al lado de su nombre había una interrogación
to play opposite sb (Theat) → aparecer junto a algn
C. ADJ
1. (in position) → de enfrente
the house oppositela casa de enfrente
on the opposite banken la ribera opuesta
on the opposite pageen la página opuesta or de al lado
to be facing the opposite wayestar mirando al otro lado, estar de cara al otro lado
2. (= far) [end, corner] → opuesto
we sat at opposite ends of the sofanos sentamos cada uno a un extremo del sofános sentamos en extremos opuestos del sofá
3. (= contrary) → contrario, opuesto
in the opposite directionen dirección contraria or opuesta, en sentido contrario or opuesto
it had the opposite effectprodujo el efecto contrario or opuesto
opposite numberhomólogo/a m/f
the opposite sexel otro sexo, el sexo opuesto
they were on opposite sides in the warlucharon en bandos contrarios or opuestos en la guerra
she presented the opposite viewpresentó el punto de vista contrario or opuesto
we take the opposite viewnosotros pensamos lo contrario
D. N the oppositelo contrario
she said the exact opposite, she said just the oppositedijo exactamente lo contrario
my brother is just the oppositemi hermano es justo lo contrario
it's the opposite of what we wantedes lo contrario de lo que queríamos
he says the opposite of everything I sayme lleva la contraria en todo
quite the opposite!¡todo lo contrario!
the opposite is truela verdad es todo lo contrario
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

opposite

[ˈɒpəzɪt]
adj
[direction, end, corner, door] → opposé(e)
It's in the opposite direction → C'est dans la direction opposée.
"see opposite page" → "voir ci-contre"
[meaning] → opposé(e)
to have the opposite effect (to that intended)avoir l'effet inverse
The proposed change could have the opposite effect → Le changement proposé pourrait avoir l'effet inverse.
[house] → d'en face
adven face
They live opposite → Ils habitent en face.
prepen face de
the girl sitting opposite me → la fille assise en face de moi
nopposé m, contraire m
the opposite → le contraire
to be just the opposite → être tout à fait le contraire
to do the opposite → faire le contraire
[word] → contraireopposite number n (British) (= counterpart) → homologue m/fopposite sex n
the opposite sex → le sexe opposé
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

opposite

adj
(in place) → entgegengesetzt; (= facing)gegenüberliegend attr, → gegenüber pred; to be oppositegegenüberliegen/-stehen/-sitzen etc; on the opposite pageauf der Seite gegenüber, auf der gegenüberliegenden or anderen Seite
(= contrary)entgegengesetzt (→ to, from +dat, → zu); in the opposite directionin entgegengesetzter Richtung; the opposite sexdas andere Geschlecht; opposite poles (Geog) → entgegengesetzte Pole pl; (Elec also) → Gegenpole pl; (fig)zwei Extreme; they’ve got quite opposite characterssie sind ganz gegensätzliche Charaktere; it had the opposite effectes bewirkte das genaue Gegenteil
nGegenteil nt; (= contrast: of pair) → Gegensatz m; black and white are oppositesSchwarz und Weiß sind Gegensätze; quite the opposite!ganz im Gegenteil!; she’s quite the opposite of her husbandsie ist genau das Gegenteil von ihrem Mann
advgegenüber, auf der anderen or gegenüberliegenden Seite; they sat oppositesie saßen uns/ihnen/sich etc gegenüber
prepgegenüber (+dat); opposite one anothersich gegenüber; they live opposite ussie wohnen uns gegenüber, sie wohnen gegenüber von uns; to play opposite somebody (Theat) → jds Gegenspieler(in) sein, die Gegenrolle zu jdm spielen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

opposite

[ˈɒpəzɪt]
1. advdi fronte, dirimpetto
they live directly opposite → abitano proprio di fronte
2. prepdi fronte a
opposite one another → l'uno/a di fronte all'altro/a
a house opposite the school → una casa di fronte alla scuola
to play opposite sb (Theatre, Cine) → essere co-protagonista m/f insieme a qn
3. adj (house) → di fronte; (end, direction, side) → opposto/a; (point of view) → opposto/a, contrario/a
on the opposite side of the road → dall'altro lato della strada
"see opposite page" → "vedere pagina a fronte"
4. n (reverse) → contrario, opposto; (of word) → contrario
quite the opposite! → al contrario!
she said just the opposite → lei ha detto esattamente il contrario
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

opposite

(ˈopəzit) adjective
1. being on the other side of. on the opposite side of town.
2. completely different. The two men walked off in opposite directions.
preposition, adverb
on the opposite side of (something) in relation to something else. He lives in the house opposite (mine).
noun
something that is completely different. Hate is the opposite of love.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

opposite

مُضَادٌ, مُعَاكِس, مُوَاجِهٌ naproti, opačný, protější, proti modsat, over for, overfor engegengesetzt, gegenüber, gegenüberliegend αντίθετος, αντίκρυ, απέναντι από de enfrente, enfrente, enfrente de, opuesto vastakkainen, vastapäätä contraire, en face, en face de, opposé na drugoj strani, nasuprot, suprotan di fronte, di fronte a, opposto ・・・の向かい側に, 反対の, 向かい側に, 向かい側の ...의 맞은편에, 맞은편의, 반대쪽의, 반대편에 tegenover, tegenovergesteld, tegenoverliggend midt imot, motsatt, rett overfor naprzeciwko, przeciwległy, przeciwstawny contrário, em frente, em frente de, oposto напротив, противоположный mitt emot, motsatt ตรงกันข้าม, ตรงข้าม, ที่อยู่คนละด้าน, ที่อยู่ตรงกันข้าม aksi, karşılıklı, karşısında, karşıt đối diện, ngược nhau, trái ngược 在...对面, 在对面, 对面的, 相反的
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

opposite

a. opuesto-a, adverso-a, contrario-a.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
References in classic literature ?
We must next explain the various senses in which the term 'opposite' is used.
As soon as the mistress of the house had left the room, Magdalen walked to the window, and cautiously looked out from it at the row of buildings opposite. They were of superior pretensions in size and appearance to the other houses in the Walk: the date at which they had been erected was inscribed on one of them, and was stated to be the year 1759.
On the other hand, many other knights, both English and Norman, natives and strangers, took part against the challengers, the more readily that the opposite band was to be led by so distinguished a champion as the Disinherited Knight had approved himself.
To avoid seeing anyone, she got up quickly and seated herself at the opposite window of the empty carriage.
Reversal of the Situation is a change by which the action veers round to its opposite, subject always to our rule of probability or necessity.
What has been already said will almost of itself sufficiently show how an oligarchy ought to be founded; for he who would frame such a state should have in his view a democracy to oppose it; for every species of oligarchy should be founded on principles diametrically opposite to some species of democracy.
Taking the candle from its place he commenced a systematic search of the apartment, nor had he gone far before he discovered another door in the opposite end of the room, a door which gave upon creaking hinges to the weight of his body.
The terror-stricken Muscovite scurried like a hunted rabbit through the hole that still gaped in the boma's wall at the point where his own prey had escaped, and as Tarzan approached the camp upon the opposite side Rokoff disappeared into the jungle in the wake of Jane Clayton.
So it was that as the second mate of the Ithaca with his six men waded down the bed of the little stream toward the harbor and the ship, a fleet of ten war prahus manned by over five hundred fierce Dyaks and commanded by Muda Saffir himself, pulled cautiously into the little cove upon the opposite side of the island, and landed but a quarter of a mile from camp.
Almost opposite to this were the white and green blinds of the great scientist's house, an iron balcony, also painted green, running along in front of the first-floor windows.
Only in that single house, which stood opposite that in which the learned foreigner lived, it was quite still; and yet some one lived there, for there stood flowers in the balcony--they grew so well in the sun's heat!
Falling down the river a little further, they came in sight of the second band, and sheered to the opposite side, with the intention of passing them.