Synonyms

contradict

American

[kon-truh-dikt] / ˌkɒn trəˈdɪkt /

verb (used with object)

to assert the contrary or opposite of; deny directly and categorically.

Synonyms:

dispute, controvert, impugn, gainsay

Antonyms:

support
to speak contrary to the assertions of.

to contradict oneself.

Synonyms:

dispute, controvert, impugn, gainsay
(of an action or event) to imply a denial of.

His way of life contradicts his stated principles.
Obsolete. to speak or declare against; oppose.

verb (used without object)

to utter a contrary statement.

contradict British

/ ˌkɒntrəˈdɪkt /

verb

(tr) to affirm the opposite of (a proposition, statement, etc)
(tr) to declare (a proposition, statement, etc) to be false or incorrect; deny
(intr) to be argumentative or contrary
(tr) to be inconsistent with (a proposition, theory, etc)

the facts contradicted his theory
(intr) (of two or more facts, principles, etc) to be at variance; be in contradiction

"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

Synonym Usage

See deny.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of contradict

First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin contrādictus “spoken against,” past participle of contrādīcere “to gainsay, speak against,” from contrā- contra- ¹ ( def. ) + dīcere “to say, speak, tell”

Explanation

"Contra-" usually means "against," and to contradict is to go against or say the opposite of what someone else is doing or saying. Sometimes to contradict is to frustrate with words, like when one person says "The sky is blue" and another says "No, it's azure." Denying or distorting the truth is a big part of trying to contradict. It can be harmless verbal back-and-forth, like when a husband and wife disagree just to disagree, or contradict each other to make a humorous point, but at other times people contradict something to make another person look like a liar. Often, a person who has lied will later contradict himself by saying something different from what he said earlier — and sometimes the two sides contradict each other, and neither is actually right.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing contradict

The Language of Standardized Tests, List 1

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 1–6

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

contradict contradicts contradicted contradicting

The calming locales both complement and contradict the plot’s revelations, which are hardly bombshells but do speak to how well-to-do families labor to shove inconvenient skeletons into the closet.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

Despite Beijing’s denials, these provisions directly contradict China’s constitution, which guarantees different nationalities within China the right to their own languages and customs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

The retailer called the plaintiffs’ argument “fatally flawed,” adding, “Plaintiffs’ own sources contradict it, the regulations of the U.S.

From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026

First, revenues across the AI ecosystem have surged, which seems to contradict the bears’ worries about data-center profitability.

From Barron's ● May 23, 2026

The second assumption is a little more troubling, especially since it seems to contradict the principle of relativity.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

This contradicts recent theories of some analysts that the capacity expansion by the likes of SK Hynix might lead to oversupply and lower prices.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

And then there’s the human cost of war — the central theme of the film, and one that Wilson says contradicts Homer’s poem.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

The other says it contradicts civil rights laws.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

It sounds like Justice Alito’s opinion contradicts the reality on the ground.

From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026

“What you’re saying contradicts what I see and hear every day in my company,” said Ziegfried, a tall, bald-headed German who worked as senior manager for a large German electronics company in Johannesburg.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

The advisers’ positive outlook, however, was somewhat contradicted by their concern regarding specific policy risks.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

That was disputed by Arkady Dvorkovich, who told the BBC in written answers, that "accusations about 'Russian influence' are false and contradicted by how Fide is governed."

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Xiao’s reveal drove the Americans to openly lambast each other, as one official dismissed Xiao’s assessments, only to be contradicted by colleagues.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

She danced and sinned and regretted and atoned, and then contradicted herself by doing it all over again.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

This view was contradicted with such energy that Mr Charles, quite aside from worrying whether he would become the next focus of the gentlemen's attention, actually thought himself in danger of physical assault.

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro

And there was no technical fault with the aircraft, the report said - contradicting an early statement by the Bangladeshi Armed Forces that the jet had experienced a mechanical fault after taking off.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

In March, Jefferies analyst Surinder Thind said he’d seen no evidence of a recovery in customer appetite, directly contradicting management’s upbeat commentary.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

In 1974, Stephen Hawking showed that black holes radiate heat and can eventually evaporate, apparently erasing all information about what fell into them — contradicting the quantum principle that evolution must preserve information.

From Science Daily ● May 22, 2026

The lawsuit claims The Atlantic went ahead with their story “despite being expressly warned, hours before publication, that the central allegations were categorically false” and “despite having abundant publicly available information contradicting those allegations.”

From Salon ● Apr. 20, 2026

She held her head bowed down, as if she wanted to view Gregor better, but ran senselessly back, contradicting that gesture, forgetting that behind her stood the table with all the dishes on it.

From "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023