counteract

American  

[koun-ter-akt] / ˌkaʊn tərˈækt /

verb (used with object)

1. to act in opposition to; frustrate by contrary action.

   Synonyms:

   thwart, contravene, counterbalance, neutralize

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counteract British  

/ ˌkaʊntərˈækt /

verb

1. (tr) to oppose, neutralize, or mitigate the effects of by contrary action; check

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Other Word Forms

• counteractant adjective
• counteracter noun
• counteractingly adverb
• counteraction noun
• counteractive adjective
• counteractively adverb
• counteractor noun
• noncounteractive adjective
• uncounteracted adjective

Etymology

Origin of counteract

First recorded in 1670–80; counter- + act

Example Sentences

Congress intended this tariff clause as an emergency tool to counteract a payments “disequilibrium” caused by strains on currency reserve holdings.

From The Wall Street Journal

Stars shine because nuclear fusion in their cores converts hydrogen into helium, creating outward pressure that counteracts gravity.

From Science Daily

And with stocks wobbling the past two weeks, those numbers help counteract Wall Street’s latest myth: that today’s market, dominated by giant tech companies, is a monster that will stomp your index funds to bits.

From The Wall Street Journal

A Church of Ireland minister has said she hopes churches "feel emboldened to counteract racism whenever they see it".

From BBC

To counteract viewer angst about all the dark topics covered in the news about Vietnam, assassinations and more, television leaned into pure escapism for most of the mid-late Sixties.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• cancel out
• correct
• counterbalance
• halt
• negate
• neutralize
• offset
• prevent
• rectify
• redress
• resist
• thwart