contrast

American  

[kuhn-trast, kon-trast, kon-trast] / kənˈtræst, ˈkɒn træst, ˈkɒn træst /

verb (used with object)

• contrasts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• contrasted,
  past participle,  past
• contrasting
  present participle

1. 

   to compare in order to show unlikeness or differences; note the opposite natures, purposes, etc., of.

   Contrast the political rights of Romans and Greeks.

   Synonyms:

   oppose, distinguish, discriminate, differentiate

---

verb (used without object)

• contrasts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• contrasted,
  past participle,  past
• contrasting
  present participle

1. 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.

2. Linguistics. to differ in a way that can serve to distinguish meanings.

   The sounds (p) and (b) contrast in the words “pin” and “bin.”

noun

• contrasts
  plural

1. a striking difference.

   The study revealed interesting contrasts between people who regularly read books and those who don't.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. Photography. the relative difference between light and dark areas of a print, digital photograph, or negative.

6. the brightness ratio of the lightest to the darkest part of the screen image on a television, computer, or other electronic device.

7. Linguistics. a difference between linguistic elements, especially sounds, that can serve to distinguish meanings.

idioms

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. by contrast. see by contrast.

4. compare and contrast. see compare and contrast.

contrast British  

verb

1. (often foll by with) to distinguish or be distinguished by comparison of unlike or opposite qualities

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noun

1. 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 )

2. a person or thing showing notable differences when compared with another

3. (in painting) the effect of the juxtaposition of different colours, tones, etc

4. 1. (of a photographic emulsion) the degree of density measured against exposure used

   2. 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

5. 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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• contrastable
  adjective
• contrasting
  adjective
• contrastive
  adjective
• quasi-contrasted
  adjective
• uncontrastable
  adjective
• uncontrasted
  adjective
• uncontrasting
  adjective
• well-contrasted
  adjective
• contrastably
  adverb
• contrastingly
  adverb
• contrastively
  adverb
• uncontrastably
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• contrasts
  plural

Participles

• contrasting
  present
• contrasted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• contrast
  simple
• contrasts
  simple
• have contrasted
  perfect
• has contrasted
  perfect
• am contrasting
  progressive
• are contrasting
  progressive
• is contrasting
  progressive
• have been contrasting
  perfect progressive
• has been contrasting
  perfect progressive

Past

• contrasted
  simple
• had contrasted
  perfect
• was contrasting
  progressive
• were contrasting
  progressive
• had been contrasting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will contrast
  simple
• will have contrasted
  perfect
• will be contrasting
  progressive
• will have been contrasting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of contrast

First recorded in 1480–90; (for the verb) from Middle French contraster, from Italian contrastare “to contest,” from Latin contrā- contra- ¹ ( def. ) + stāre “to stand” ( cf. status); (for the noun) earlier contraste, from French, from Italian contrasto “conflict,” derivative of contrastare

Explanation

The verb contrast means to show a difference, like photos that reveal how much weight someone lost by contrasting the "before" and "after" shots. You probably know contrast in its relation to compare. To contrast something is to look for differences among two or more elements, but compare is to do the opposite, to look for similarities. It's easy to tell the difference if you remember that contrast comes from the Latin root contra, and means "against." Contrast is also a noun meaning basically the same thing — you might notice the contrast of a dark tree against a snow-covered hill.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

contrast contrasts contrasted contrasting

That Palace statement, questioning Earl Spencer's account of the days after his sister's death, was a total contrast to its normal "never explain, never complain" mantra.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

Disney’s attendance surge stands in contrast to its competitors, including Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld, which have reported weaker foot traffic compared with last year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

BFAs, by contrast, are semi-volatile and evaporate more slowly.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

It's in stark contrast to today's appetite for flats, with property portals reporting a slump in sales.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

The French, by contrast, had a Roman law system.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

But the German capital has long been defined by its contrasts: Historic landmarks and world-class museums stand alongside Brutalist architecture, independent fashion labels and one of Europe’s most influential contemporary art scenes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

"Brazil has regulations that have expanded and forced platforms to develop control and verification mechanisms," Paganotti said, adding that this contrasts with a dearth of legislation elsewhere in the region.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

“Who Is The Sky?,” which Byrne made with the producer Kid Harpoon, contrasts deep lyrics about art, home and enlightenment with bright pop arrangements filled with crisp grooves and singalong melodies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

This contrasts with closed-source AI, which is designed to be controlled and private.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026

Board of Education was a place of stark contrasts in black and white.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Her rhetoric about being a submissive housewife contrasted with her role as TPUSA’s CEO.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

It was contrasted with a picture released by the court on Thursday, in which a worn, white-haired Xu stood unsmiling, flanked by two police officers as he faced a panel of judges.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

The decline contrasted with a projected 0.1% increase expected by economists polled by The Wall Street Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

But the uptick citywide this year contrasted sharply with Raman’s district, where homelessness actually decreased by 49%.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026

Not exactly beautiful, but her blue eyes and pert snub nose gave her a catlike quality that contrasted with her robust, athletic movements.

From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes

An unexpected bold red with a contrasting strip of vibrant blue trim.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

Inside, the modern farmhouse blends Dewan and Kazee’s contrasting design tastes, pairing sleek contemporary elements with warmer and more personal touches.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026

The unfaithful Clytemnestra and Helen are supposed to be contrasting forces to Anne Hathaway’s loyal Penelope.

From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026

These contrasting attitudes are somewhat reflected in a recent Pew Research Center report about how Americans view AI.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Now it welcomed her like a familiar friend, the contrasting trim above the top windows like raised eyebrows surprised to see her again.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Related Words

• comparison
• contradiction
• disagreement
• disparity
• distinction
• divergence
• diversity
• opposition
• variation