-
Trending Now:
More Trending:
- transgender beleaguer scaramouch non sequitur admiral's mast
- ALL
Definition of contrast
transitive verb
: to set off in contrast : compare or appraise in respect to differences Contrast European and American manners. Contrast the two major characters of the novel. —often used with to or with contrasting the painter with her contemporaries
intransitive verb
: to form a contrast
Explore M-W
Examples of contrast in a Sentence
Her black dress and the white background contrast sharply.
We compared and contrasted the two characters of the story.
Recent Examples of contrast from the Web
-
Use a light yellow-tinted powder, like the one in the Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette, and begin shading these areas to contrast the contour and give your face more cat-like dimension.
-
The new owners have filled it with contemporary art from Warhol, Jeff Koons, Yayoi Kusama, Murakami, and Ai Wei Wei–which contrasts its tropical Caribbean locale.
-
A wide-eyed observer of today’s political media wouldn’t just see different voices and outlets with contrasting tendencies.
-
Both visited the site of the disaster on Thursday, with contrasting reactions from locals.
-
The contrasting colors of the desert and mountains—the plum shades of the far-off ranges, the oranges of the dunes—swirled together.
-
Careful planning evidently went into the program, which surrounded two familiar masterpieces — a piano concerto and a symphony — with contrasting vocal works that turn up less often in concert.
-
Silence may be the best choice for central bankers if the alternative is sending vague signals susceptible to contrasting readings.
-
Think in terms of a few contrasting flavors, like cucumber, scallion, and seaweed.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'contrast'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology 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
Synonym Discussion of contrast
Definition of contrast
1a : juxtaposition of dissimilar elements (such as color, tone, or emotion) in a work of artb : degree of difference between the lightest and darkest parts of a picture
2a : the difference or degree of difference between things having similar or comparable natures the contrast between the two forms of governmentb : comparison of similar objects to set off their dissimilar qualities By contrast with newer models, the computer operates slowly. : the state of being so compared In contrast to the other estimates, his was very high.
3 : a person or thing that exhibits differences when compared with another The gentle girl is a contrast to the arrogant woman.
Examples of contrast in a Sentence
I observed an interesting contrast in the teaching styles of the two women.
Careful contrast of the twins shows some differences.
In contrast to last year's profits, the company is not doing very well.
The queen's wit and humor made the prince seem dull by contrast.
They spent millions of dollars on advertising. By way of contrast, our small company spent under 5,000 dollars.
Recent Examples of contrast from the Web
-
By contrast, district elections allow minority voters to pool their votes in support of candidates that better represent them.
-
Thompson, by contrast, launched a GoFundMe.com fundraising drive on June 10 which, as of Thursday afternoon, had yet to receive its first donation toward a $250,000 goal.
-
In contrast to the light and fruity nature of this salad is chef Ming’s herb chevre gnocchi ($11).
-
In contrast this month, U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) is strongly defending its recent roundup of 199 Iraqi immigrants nationally (114 of them in metro Detroit) with criminal records.
-
By contrast, spending on open exchanges is forecast to grow by 8.4% this year to $8.3 billion.
-
By contrast, when an operator treats its infrastructure as neutral, as Minitel had done, its marketplace invites a greater diversity of content and services.
-
Arrowood, by contrast, excels at observing people, not things, relying on his psychological skills to reveal hidden emotions and intentions.
-
By contrast, after the first three rate hikes of 2004, the curve was little changed at 149 basis points.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'contrast'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of contrast
see 1contrast
CONTRAST Defined for English Language Learners
contrast
playDefinition of contrast for English Language Learners
-
: to be different especially in a way that is very obvious
-
: to compare (two people or things) to show how they are different
contrast
playDefinition of contrast for English Language Learners
-
: something that is different from another thing
-
: a difference between people or things that are being compared
-
: the act of comparing people or things to show the differences between them
CONTRAST Defined for Kids
Definition of contrast for Students
contrasted
;contrasting
1 : to show noticeable differences Red contrasts with black.
2 : to compare two persons or things so as to show the differences between them Contrast the styles of these two authors.
Definition of contrast for Students
1 : something that is different from another Today's weather is quite a contrast to yesterday's.
2 : difference or the amount of difference (as in color or brightness) between parts a photo with good contrast
3 : difference or amount of difference between related or similar things the contrast between summer and winter
Learn More about contrast
-
See words that rhyme with contrast Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for contrast Spanish Central: Translation of contrast Nglish: Translation of contrast for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of contrast for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up contrast? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!