contrast

verb

con·trast | \ kən-ˈtrast

, ˈkän-ˌtrast

contrasted; contrasting; contrasts

Definition of contrast

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

contrast

noun

con·trast | \ ˈkän-ˌtrast

Definition of contrast (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : juxtaposition of dissimilar elements (such as color, tone, or emotion) in a work of art

b : 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 government

b : 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.

Other Words from contrast Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about contrast

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Other Words from contrast

Verb

contrastable \ kən-ˈtra-stə-bəl

, ˈkän-ˌtra- \ adjective

contrastingly \ kən-ˈtra-stiŋ-lē

, ˈkän-ˌtra- \ adverb

Choose the Right Synonym for contrast

Verb

compare, contrast, collate mean to set side by side in order to show differences and likenesses. compare implies an aim of showing relative values or excellences by bringing out characteristic qualities whether similar or divergent. compared the convention facilities of the two cities contrast implies an emphasis on differences. contrasted the computerized system with the old filing cards collate implies minute and critical inspection in order to note points of agreement or divergence. data from districts around the country will be collated

Examples of contrast in a Sentence

Verb

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

Noun

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 on the Web: Verb

The owners ended up painting the 50 layers of wooden cladding different shades of blue-green, creating a subtle gradient effect that contrasts perfectly with the black panels at the top of the house. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "Modern home stands out with gradient facade," 5 Nov. 2018 Monson says the district’s administrative expenses are 3.5 percent of the budget, contrasted with 7 to 9 percent for other large districts nationally. — Stu Bykofsky, Philly.com, "Why Philly's School District is a money pit | Stu Bykofsky," 12 Mar. 2018 Trump’s low-key King holiday contrasts with how some of his recent predecessors observed the day. — kansascity, "Trump marks King day out of view, buffeted by race claims | The Kansas City Star," 15 Jan. 2018 The yellow from the sunflowers looks great contrasted with the red from the cranberries, and offsets the brown from your Thanksgiving table. 3. — Fox News, "Cool Thanksgiving table decorations that won’t break the bank," 26 Nov. 2015 The only contrasting color in the ensemble came from her miniature white box bag by Mark Cross, because naturally, even her bright pop of lip gloss matched perfectly with the color palette. — Lucy Wood, Marie Claire, "Jennifer Lopez's Head-to-Toe Neon Coral Outfit is Brighter Than My Future," 17 Dec. 2018 The correspondent contrasted her kindness to Prince William and Kate Middleton's behavior. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Why Duchess Camilla Is the Press's Favorite Royal," 7 Nov. 2018 Interestingly enough, Vulture's Hunter Harris astutely points out that, in the film, the home is bright and full of energy, directly contrasting the harrowing struggles the Sheffs face inside. — Taylor Mead, House Beautiful, "The Stunning House In Beautiful Boy Is Also In Big Little Lies," 26 Oct. 2018 When asked about the influence of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon on the market, Bouvier contrasted the two companies’ approaches. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "AMD's 'Raven Ridge' APU designer points to power as its next advantage," 23 Aug. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

By contrast, revenue growth is projected at 5.7%, leading to a 5.9% efficiency gap, the survey found. — Tatyana Shumsky, WSJ, "Finance Teams Bet Technology Will Bridge Budget Gap," 5 Mar. 2019 By contrast, the 91st Academy Awards have already been an unmitigated disaster for months, and four days out from the ceremony itself, the Academy is still doing damage control in the wake of its numerous misguided attempts to shake things up. — Emma Dibdin, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kevin Hart, the "Popular" Film & Cancelled Categories: A Complete Timeline of the 2019 Oscar Drama," 21 Feb. 2019 By contrast, United is looking strong under unbeaten new coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with no major injuries. — Jerome Pugmire, The Seattle Times, "PSG missing Cavani for Champions League 1st leg v Man United," 10 Feb. 2019 Guo Pei’s bride, by contrast, was an heroic study of stillness. — Jordan Roth, Vogue, "Jordan Roth: A Man’s View on the Haute Couture," 28 Jan. 2019 By contrast, digital transactions requiring a simple card swipe or wave of a smart device are typically fast and efficient. — Town & Country, "Is This the End of Cash?," 28 Jan. 2019 By contrast, Middleton's new clothes in 2018 reportedly cost $85,097, a mere fraction to Markle's wardrobe. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "Meghan Markle Had the Most Expensive Royal Wardrobe in 2018—By a Landslide," 6 Jan. 2019 Trump, by contrast, could end up simply discrediting the whole idea of an outsider presidency. — Vox Staff, Vox, "The most thought-provoking books the Vox staff read in 2018," 21 Dec. 2018 Search engines, by contrast, are subjective and zero-sum. — Adi Robertson, The Verge, "The long, tortured quest to make Google unbiased," 6 Dec. 2018

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.