opponent
Americannoun
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opponents
plural
adjective
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being opposite, as in position.
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opposing; adverse; antagonistic.
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Anatomy. bringing parts together or into opposition, as a muscle.
noun
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a person who opposes another in a contest, battle, etc
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anatomy an opponent muscle
adjective
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opposite, as in position
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anatomy (of a muscle) bringing two parts into opposition
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opposing; contrary
Usage
What does opponent mean? An opponent is someone who is against another person, as in a game, exhibition, or controversy. Opponent can also sometimes be used to describe being in opposition, as in Felix saw no opponent reason to change his vote. Example: Our opponent is strong, so don’t do anything reckless during the game.
Synonym Usage
Opponent, competitor, rival refer to persons engaged in a contest. Opponent is the most impersonal, meaning merely one who opposes; perhaps one who continually blocks and frustrates or one who happens to be on the opposite side in a temporary contest: an opponent in a debate. Competitor emphasizes the action in striving against another, or others, for a definite, common goal: competitors in business. Rival has both personal and emotional connotations; it emphasizes the idea that (usually) two persons are struggling to attain the same object: rivals for an office.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of opponent
1580–90; < Latin oppōnent- (stem of oppōnēns, present participle of oppōnere to place over, against, or in front of, make an obstacle), equivalent to op- op- + pōn ( ere ) to place, set, put + -ent- -ent
Explanation
An opponent is your competition, whether it's a rival hockey team, or the other finalist in the chess tournament. Coaches tell you to never underestimate your opponent. Someone who competes or fights against you is your opponent. If you're arguing that chocolate ice cream is better than vanilla, the vanilla ice cream fan is your opponent. An opponent can also be someone who opposes, like an opponent of gun control laws. The Latin word opponent means setting against, and it was first used in English to describe the person who would begin a certain type of philosophical debate.
Vocabulary lists containing opponent
Vocabulary of the Summer Olympics
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Check It Out, Mate: Chess Vocabulary
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Excerpt from "The Philosophy of Literary Form" by Kenneth Burke
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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.
See Examples For:
Abbott has stepped into the void, at times running more aggressively against Talarico than his own opponent, Austin state Rep. Gina Hinojosa.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
That’s a breakthrough win for King/Drew against a quality Southern Section opponent.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
Mike Rogers, his Republican opponent, has seized upon a clip of his once campaign partner, Hasan Piker, saying in 2019 that he believed America deserved 9/11.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
Jujitsu is the Japanese martial art that uses an attacker’s force against him and through the clever use of leverage allows a smaller person to defeat a larger opponent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
"So will I, as soon as day breaks," his opponent said confidently.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
Ali Vaez, an Iran expert at the International Crisis Group, a conflict-resolution organization, said the rally was meant to send a warning to the government’s opponents at home and abroad.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
And yet, I had spent the day doing something to El-Sayed that his opponents were also doing in a very different way: insisting that the most revealing thing about him was his Muslimness.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
However, it soon became apparent that the officials had made an error in failing to identify an offside offence by Enzo Fernandez, diving at the ball in a central position and interfering with opponents.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
After scoring, opponents are more likely to attack, which stretches the game, allowing United to play to their strengths and in a more direct fashion.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
He seemed to know what his opponents were going to do before they did.
From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss
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.
