contrast
to compare in order to show unlikeness or differences; note the opposite natures, purposes, etc., of: Contrast the political rights of Romans and Greeks.
to show striking difference when compared with or viewed alongside something else: Youth leadership on the issue contrasts with government inaction.The blue of the wood trim contrasts nicely with the pale yellow walls.
Linguistics. to differ in a way that can serve to distinguish meanings: The sounds (p) and (b) contrast in the words “pin” and “bin.”
a striking difference: The study revealed interesting contrasts between people who regularly read books and those who don't.
a person or thing that is strikingly different in comparison: The weather down here is a welcome contrast to what we're having back home.
opposition or juxtaposition of different formal elements in a work of art, music, or literature to intensify each element's properties and make the work more dynamically expressive: The artist makes effective use of color contrast in the illustrations.There’s a stark contrast of tempo in the sonata’s two movements.
the act of comparing people or things so as to draw attention to striking differences between them: Each essay topic involves the contrast of two of the novels studied in the course.
Photography. the relative difference between light and dark areas of a print, digital photograph, or negative.
the brightness ratio of the lightest to the darkest part of the screen image on a television, computer, or other electronic device.
Linguistics. a difference between linguistic elements, especially sounds, that can serve to distinguish meanings.
Idioms about contrast
by contrast. See entry at by contrast.
compare and contrast. See entry at compare and contrast.
in contrast, in comparison to something that is the opposite or strikingly different in some respect: In contrast to personal computers, which are rare in that country, cell phones are widely available and even most children have their own.
stand in contrast to / with, to show a striking difference when compared to or with: The actor’s on-screen gun violence stands in contrast to her real-life persona as an advocate for gun control.
Origin of contrast
1Other words for contrast
Other words from contrast
- con·trast·a·ble, adjective
- con·trast·a·bly, adverb
- con·trast·ing·ly, adverb
- qua·si-con·trast·ed, adjective
- un·con·trast·a·ble, adjective
- un·con·trast·a·bly, adverb
- un·con·trast·ed, adjective
- un·con·trast·ing, adjective
- well-con·trast·ed, adjective
Words that may be confused with contrast
- compare, contrast
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use contrast in a sentence
That contrasts with a 49 to 48 percent advantage for Democrats in the other 37 states.
All of this contrasts markedly with pre-recession policies, especially what has come to be known as the “Beckham Law.”
But the hope that people have about technology contrasts the notion of the evil machine.
How ‘Transcendence’ Director Wally Pfister Became Christopher Nolan’s Secret Weapon | Andrew Romano | April 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHer story contrasts the two approaches to divorce in the church that Pope Francis highlighted.
Pope Francis Declares Divorcees Deserve Compassion, Too | Kirsten Powers | March 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTViewers love the show because it contrasts rich and poor, upstairs and down, particularly when the two worlds collide.
The table on the following page contrasts the distinctive blood-changes in the more common conditions.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddNo part of the entertainment amused me more than the ball, where I witnessed the most startling contrasts of art and nature.
A Woman's Journey Round the World | Ida PfeifferThe whole episode contrasts markedly with the exploit of Bishop Sinclair in Fife.
King Robert the Bruce | A. F. MurisonPortland enjoyed a popularity which contrasts strangely with the extreme unpopularity which he had incurred in England.
The History of England from the Accession of James II. | Thomas Babington MacaulayHere's the diary to prove how little things came to look important because the days held no contrasts.
Cabin Fever | B. M. Bower
British Dictionary definitions for contrast
(often foll by with) to distinguish or be distinguished by comparison of unlike or opposite qualities
distinction or emphasis of difference by comparison of opposite or dissimilar things, qualities, etc (esp in the phrases by contrast, in contrast to or with)
a person or thing showing notable differences when compared with another
(in painting) the effect of the juxtaposition of different colours, tones, etc
(of a photographic emulsion) the degree of density measured against exposure used
the extent to which adjacent areas of an optical image, esp on a television screen or in a photographic negative or print, differ in brightness
psychol the phenomenon that when two different but related stimuli are presented close together in space and/or time they are perceived as being more different than they really are
Origin of contrast
1Derived forms of contrast
- contrastable, adjective
- contrastably, adverb
- contrasting, adjective
- contrastive, adjective
- contrastively, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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