contrast

¹con·trast

verb \kən-ˈtrast, ˈkän-ˌ\

Definition of CONTRAST

transitive verb

: to set off in contrast : compare or appraise in respect to differences <contrast European and American manners> —often used with to or with <contrasting her with other women — Victoria Sackville-West>

intransitive verb

: to form a contrast

— con·trast·able \-ˈtras-tə-bəl, -ˌtras-\ adjective

— con·trast·ing·ly \-tiŋ-lē\ adverb

Examples of CONTRAST

1. Her black dress and the white background contrast sharply.
2. We compared and contrasted the two characters of the story.

Origin of CONTRAST

French contraster, from Middle French, to oppose, resist, alteration of contrester, from Vulgar Latin *contrastare, from Latin contra- + stare to stand — more at stand

First Known Use: 1646

Related to CONTRAST

Synonyms: differ, vary

Antonyms: compare, match

Related Words: deviate, diverge, divide, fluctuate, separate

Near Antonyms: accord, agree, conform, correspond

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See Synonym Discussion at compare

Rhymes with CONTRAST

aghast, at last, avast, bedfast, Belfast, bombast, broadcast, bypast, dicast, dismast, downcast, dynast, fantast, flypast, forecast, foremast, forepassed, full blast, gymnast, half-caste, half-mast, handfast, holdfast, lightfast, mainmast, makefast, march-past, miscast, newscast, oblast, offcast, outcast, outcaste, precast, recast, repast, roughcast, sandblast, sand-cast, shamefast, sportscast, topmast, trade-last, typecast, upcast, webcast, windblast