juxtapose
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has juxtaposedperfect 3rd person singular
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have juxtaposedperfect
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have been juxtaposingperfect progressive
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juxtaposessingular 3rd person
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has been juxtaposingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is juxtaposingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am juxtaposingprogressive 1st person singular
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are juxtaposingprogressive
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juxtaposingparticiple
Past
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had juxtaposedperfect
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were juxtaposingprogressive plural
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was juxtaposingprogressive singular
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had been juxtaposingperfect progressive
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juxtaposedsimple
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juxtaposedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of juxtapose
First recorded in 1850–55; back formation from juxtaposition
Explanation
See the word "pose" in juxtapose? When you juxtapose, you are "posing" or positioning things side by side. The verb juxtapose requires contrasting things placed next to one other: "The collage juxtaposed pictures of Jane while she was growing up and as an adult." Juxtapose is used often when referring to contrasting elements in the arts. "The music juxtaposed the instrumentation of jazz with the harmonies of soul."
Vocabulary lists containing juxtapose
100 SAT Words Beginning with "J," "K," and "L"
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This Week In Culture: March 29–April 4, 2020
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Stand in "Solidarity": 30 Words to Remind us English is at Least 30 Percent French
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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.
The effect of the metanarrative is to juxtapose Byron’s violent passions with the careful, repressed behavior of one who hoped to capture him in literature.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025
She finds absurd photos on the internet to juxtapose with canonical paintings that happen to be similar.
From New York Times • May 2, 2024
Cyrus' raspy vocals juxtapose against Beyoncé's soulful and piercing falsetto.
From Salon • Mar. 29, 2024
To tame that wild child into a work of art, juxtapose it against a formal element, he advised.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 17, 2024
The entries would juxtapose the mundane thrill and confusion of being a young girl with the terror of living with Danny.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
Definitions 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.
