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
In contrast, state management of land requires no such mechanisms.
This is an unfortunate contrast to other massive services, which tend to provide fairly detailed explanations in short order during similar outages.
YouTube and YouTube TV suffered a two-hour global outage last night | Jim Salter | November 12, 2020 | Ars TechnicaBy contrast, Eightfold’s software curates a list of specific job openings for a candidate.
A.I. recruiting startup wins competition to help military veterans find jobs | Jeremy Kahn | November 11, 2020 | FortuneIn contrast, when we write, our brain needs to think about and retrieve memories of the shape of each letter.
Handwriting beats typing when it comes to taking class notes | Diane Lincoln | November 11, 2020 | Science News For StudentsThe new protocol, by contrast, depends on security assumptions that have been widely used and studied in the past.
Computer Scientists Achieve ‘Crown Jewel’ of Cryptography | Erica Klarreich | November 10, 2020 | Quanta Magazine
He contrasted his vices with those of other congressmen who drank or “snort coke or chase women.”
This is contrasted with the human skeletal system, which is classified as an endoskeleton.
The Bionic Exoskeleton Helping Paraplegics Walk | Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD | June 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTGloriously smooth, full-grain leather was contrasted with hybrid materials.
Nicolas Ghesquière Presents His Debut Collection for Louis Vuitton | Liza Foreman | March 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThey contrasted earthy creations made from menswear fabrics with occasional sexy, lingerie-inspired pieces.
She contrasted its timidity with a bellicose anti-Hagel salvo from the Christian-right group Concerned Women for America.
The GOP’s Steep Descent Into Extreme Politics and Doctrine | Peter Beinart | February 28, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTThe hum of earnest or glad voices here contrasted strongly with silence and meditation there.
Glances at Europe | Horace GreeleyHer comely face contrasted pleasantly with the full chin, which bore a trace of the commanding expression of her mother.
Skipper Worse | Alexander Lange KiellandPhonetically, the dialect offers certain markedPg 46 differences when contrasted with French.
Frdric Mistral | Charles Alfred DownerThe aide-de-camp of Calvin and Theodore de Beze contrasted admirably with the son of the furrier.
Catherine de' Medici | Honore de BalzacThis exemplary daughter was her father's idol, when contrasted with other, and less favored girls.
Alone | Marion Harland
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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