opposing
Americanadjective
-
fighting or acting against something or someone.
The Taoist concept of health is harmony between the opposing forces of the natural world—between yin and yang.
Humane treatment of prisoners ensured that many combatants in the opposing army preferred captivity over death in battle.
-
of or being a player, team, participant, etc., competing against another in a game or contest.
If a game is rained out, reschedule a makeup date with the opposing captain.
The single most important reason citizens voted that year was to ensure that the opposing candidate lost.
-
being, expressing, or supporting a hostile or conflicting opinion, proposal, etc..
The reporters responsible for those stories failed to balance their coverage with an opposing view.
One faction wants to return us to the 1950s, while the opposing faction wants to adapt to the 21st century.
-
standing in the way of someone or something; being or providing a hindrance.
Sometimes, despite all opposing circumstances, a painful step or two of progress will be achieved.
-
facing something else, or moving in the other direction.
We waited as the opposing traffic cleared, and then it was our turn to go.
The rails are to be mounted parallel to one another on opposing walls of the cargo area.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of opposing
First recorded in 1580–90, as a noun; oppos(e) ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. )
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.
“Specifically, someone who’s opposing or supporting a candidate could potentially use sites like Kalshi to elevate that candidate and impact the entire pool.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026
This opposing force can halt the collapse before a black hole forms.
From Science Daily • Jun. 14, 2026
Hundreds of actors and directors have signed a letter opposing the merger, warning it will choke production in an industry already battered by years of consolidation and cost-cutting.
From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026
Deng also crushed intraparty democracy, Pei said, with only Zhao Ziyang—the reform-minded party secretary who was placed under house arrest after opposing the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989—daring to experiment with it briefly.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
My job, mostly, was to break the opposing team’s line and scare the living hell out of their QB.
From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely
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.
