contrast

American  

[kuhn-trast, kon-trast, kon-trast] / kənˈtræst, ˈkɒn træst, ˈkɒn træst /

verb (used with object)

• contrasts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• contrasted,
  past participle,  past
• contrasting
  present participle

1. 

   to compare in order to show unlikeness or differences; note the opposite natures, purposes, etc., of.

   Contrast the political rights of Romans and Greeks.

   Synonyms:

   oppose, distinguish, discriminate, differentiate

---

verb (used without object)

• contrasts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• contrasted,
  past participle,  past
• contrasting
  present participle

1. 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.

2. Linguistics. to differ in a way that can serve to distinguish meanings.

   The sounds (p) and (b) contrast in the words “pin” and “bin.”

noun

• contrasts
  plural

1. a striking difference.

   The study revealed interesting contrasts between people who regularly read books and those who don't.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. Photography. the relative difference between light and dark areas of a print, digital photograph, or negative.

6. the brightness ratio of the lightest to the darkest part of the screen image on a television, computer, or other electronic device.

7. Linguistics. a difference between linguistic elements, especially sounds, that can serve to distinguish meanings.

idioms

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. by contrast. see by contrast.

4. compare and contrast. see compare and contrast.

contrast British  

verb

1. (often foll by with) to distinguish or be distinguished by comparison of unlike or opposite qualities

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noun

1. 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 )

2. a person or thing showing notable differences when compared with another

3. (in painting) the effect of the juxtaposition of different colours, tones, etc

4. 1. (of a photographic emulsion) the degree of density measured against exposure used

   2. 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

5. 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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• contrastable
  adjective
• contrasting
  adjective
• contrastive
  adjective
• quasi-contrasted
  adjective
• uncontrastable
  adjective
• uncontrasted
  adjective
• uncontrasting
  adjective
• well-contrasted
  adjective
• contrastably
  adverb
• contrastingly
  adverb
• contrastively
  adverb
• uncontrastably
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• contrasts
  plural

Participles

• contrasting
  present
• contrasted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• contrast
  simple
• contrasts
  simple
• have contrasted
  perfect
• has contrasted
  perfect
• am contrasting
  progressive
• are contrasting
  progressive
• is contrasting
  progressive
• have been contrasting
  perfect progressive
• has been contrasting
  perfect progressive

Past

• contrasted
  simple
• had contrasted
  perfect
• was contrasting
  progressive
• were contrasting
  progressive
• had been contrasting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will contrast
  simple
• will have contrasted
  perfect
• will be contrasting
  progressive
• will have been contrasting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of contrast

First recorded in 1480–90; (for the verb) from Middle French contraster, from Italian contrastare “to contest,” from Latin contrā- contra- ¹ ( def. ) + stāre “to stand” ( cf. status); (for the noun) earlier contraste, from French, from Italian contrasto “conflict,” derivative of contrastare

Explanation

The verb contrast means to show a difference, like photos that reveal how much weight someone lost by contrasting the "before" and "after" shots. You probably know contrast in its relation to compare. To contrast something is to look for differences among two or more elements, but compare is to do the opposite, to look for similarities. It's easy to tell the difference if you remember that contrast comes from the Latin root contra, and means "against." Contrast is also a noun meaning basically the same thing — you might notice the contrast of a dark tree against a snow-covered hill.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

contrast contrasts contrasted contrasting

In separate interviews with The Times, Bonta said the contrast “couldn’t be starker,” while Gates said they “could not be more opposite.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

In contrast, Einstein Probe recorded bright X-ray emission for nearly ten minutes.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

You, by contrast, have built your political identity on leading with kindness.

From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026

In contrast, the Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF finished the session with a total loss of 2.5% so far this year after being beaten down in September, according to FactSet data.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

The wind howled above the trees, but this sheltered spot, by contrast, seemed warm.

From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander

The race to succeed Ricardo Lara as California insurance commissioner following the devastating January 2025 wildfires is a classic study in contrasts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Archive film footage showing Britons in 1913 enjoying days at the races or watching the cricket contrasts sharply with what followed during the horrors of World War One.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

The result contrasts with a pullback in manufacturing shipments in July and drop in monthly sales volumes, which points to headwinds for the economy to kick off the third quarter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

"Brazil has regulations that have expanded and forced platforms to develop control and verification mechanisms," Paganotti said, adding that this contrasts with a dearth of legislation elsewhere in the region.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

I find myself remembering Gertrude’s kindness as I gaze upon Mother Ermentrude, whose humility contrasts with my queen’s grandeur.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

The message contrasted from that of a post Wietrzyk made earlier in the week that, according to the Athletic, also included a selfie of the athlete apparently in a hospital bed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

The growth in wholesale sales contrasted with a 0.4% decline in Canadian manufacturing sales for July.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Her rhetoric about being a submissive housewife contrasted with her role as TPUSA’s CEO.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

That contrasted with some other high-profile names, who Haas have continued to outperform this year.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

The walls were exposed Sheetrock, which contrasted spectacularly with the wood paneling on the vaulted ceiling.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

Different rooms are said to explore contrasting sensations, with some emphasizing touch, sound or visuals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

It is particularly pertinent given the contrasting styles on Saturday.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

A poached whitefish dish was another standout, paired with rice prepared in several different ways to add contrasting textures.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

"During the earthquake, officials were hardly seen on the ground," Dixit said, contrasting that 2015 response with the scenes from this disaster.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

I mean, who really cares about dividing decimals or contrasting the parts of plants, animals, and one-celled organisms when you’ve had the kind of morning I have?

From "The Misfits" by James Howe

Related Words

• comparison
• contradiction
• disagreement
• disparity
• distinction
• divergence
• diversity
• opposition
• variation