counteract
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of counteract
Explanation
To counteract is to work against something in an attempt to reverse it or cancel it out. You can try to counteract the neighbors' annoyance at your loud music by bringing them some homemade brownies. When you counteract something, you act counter — or in opposition — to it. To counteract rising global temperatures, we have to reduce the greenhouse gases flowing into the atmosphere. In order to counteract the effects of a long sleepless night, you may want to drink a cup of coffee or tea. And a good way to counteract a limited vocabulary is to learn a new word every day!
Vocabulary lists containing counteract
"Don't ban peanuts at school"
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Academic Vocabulary, Unit 3
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Part 3 Vocabulary (Unit 3)
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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.
A diet packed with fruit and vegetables, rather than going all in on ultra-processed foods, will contain potassium, which can counteract some of the impact of salt.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
To counteract the maritime subterfuge, Kpler analysts have to play detective.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026
While cutting the balance sheet would reduce liquidity in the financial system, lower interest rates would counteract the negative effect, he has said.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
It also suggests that lipid supplementation throughout the body could help counteract age-related changes in the immune system and may even play a role in blood cancers.
From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2026
By putting two gold-covered plates on a sensitive twist-measuring device, he determined how much force it took to counteract the Casimir force between them.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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.
