diametrically
Britishadverb
Explanation
If one thing is the exact opposite of something else, they're diametrically opposed. Here, diametrically is used to mean "totally" or "completely." Diametrically is an unusual word — it's only used to modify the adjective opposed. When you describe two things that couldn't be more different from each other, you can say they're diametrically opposed. Is your brother a cheerful, optimistic person, while your sister is cranky and gloomy? Then they're diametrically opposed. This word comes from diameter, a line through a circle, in the sense that two points at either end of a diameter are directly opposite each other.
Vocabulary lists containing diametrically
Opposites Attract
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A Man Called Ove
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Founding Brothers
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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.
This blurring of what are diametrically opposite functions is epistemologically perilous and morally repugnant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
“And those three things, in my reading of the Gospel, are diametrically opposed to the teachings of Jesus.”
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
The Scottish Youth Parliament said Linden's actions were "reprehensible and diametrically opposed" to its values.
From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2026
Is it possible to prevent an heir from spending their inheritance on things to which we are diametrically opposed?
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 16, 2026
But he and I seemed to come from worlds so diametrically opposed that I knew better than to allow his friendship in my life.
From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
