contrast

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verb con·trast \kən-ˈtrast, ˈkän-ˌtrast\

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

contrastable

play \kən-ˈtra-stə-bəl, ˈkän-ˌtra-\ adjective

contrastingly

play \kən-ˈtra-stiŋ-lē, ˈkän-ˌtra-\ adverb

See contrast defined for English-language learners

See contrast defined for kids

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.

— brooke shunatona, Cosmopolitan, "11 Halloween Looks You Can Create With Makeup You Already Have", 30 June 2017
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.

— nicole fritton, Harper's BAZAAR, "Just Back From...Bermuda", 30 June 2017
A wide-eyed observer of today’s political media wouldn’t just see different voices and outlets with contrasting tendencies.

— john herrman, New York Times, "Why the Far Right Wants to Be the New ‘Alternative’ Culture", 27 June 2017
Both visited the site of the disaster on Thursday, with contrasting reactions from locals.

— charlotte ryan, Bloomberg.com, "The London Tower Blaze Exposes a Divided Britain", 15 June 2017
The contrasting colors of the desert and mountains—the plum shades of the far-off ranges, the oranges of the dunes—swirled together.

— dominica lim, CNT, "A Road Trip Through Namibia's Wild Landscape", 11 June 2017
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.

— john von rhein, chicagotribune.com, "Soloists save the day in CSO's all-Mozart program", 9 June 2017
Silence may be the best choice for central bankers if the alternative is sending vague signals susceptible to contrasting readings.

— alessandro speciale, Bloomberg.com, "Silence Beats Ambiguity for Central Bankers Mulling Policy Exit", 17 May 2017
Think in terms of a few contrasting flavors, like cucumber, scallion, and seaweed.

— eric velasco, AL.com, "Taste the world at Pizitz Food Hall", 17 May 2017

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

NEW!

First Known Use: 1646

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of contrast

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

contrast

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noun con·trast \ˈkän-ˌtrast\

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.

See contrast defined for English-language learners

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.

— deborah sullivan brennan, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Oceanside schools switching to district elections", 23 June 2017
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.

— lawrence specker, AL.com, "Mayoral challenger Thompson wants to 'Make Mobile Healthier'", 22 June 2017
In contrast to the light and fruity nature of this salad is chef Ming’s herb chevre gnocchi ($11).

— lindsey mcclave, The Courier-Journal, "Wiltshire At The Speed should not be missed | Review", 21 June 2017
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.

— niraj warikoo, Detroit Free Press, "Iraqi-American Christians disappointed with Trump", 19 June 2017
By contrast, spending on open exchanges is forecast to grow by 8.4% this year to $8.3 billion.

— suzanne vranica, WSJ, "Advertisers Try to Avoid the Web’s Dark Side, From Fake News to Extremist Videos", 18 June 2017
By contrast, when an operator treats its infrastructure as neutral, as Minitel had done, its marketplace invites a greater diversity of content and services.

— julien mailland, The Atlantic, "Minitel, the Open Network Before the Internet", 16 June 2017
Arrowood, by contrast, excels at observing people, not things, relying on his psychological skills to reveal hidden emotions and intentions.

— seattle times staff, The Seattle Times, "Indie bookstores and old houses: new crime-fiction titles", 15 June 2017
By contrast, after the first three rate hikes of 2004, the curve was little changed at 149 basis points.

— liz mccormick, Bloomberg.com, "Bond Strategists Ponder Fed Policy Error as Market Gauges Tumble", 15 June 2017

Origin and Etymology of contrast

see ¹contrast

NEW!

First Known Use: 1711

See Words from the same year

CONTRAST Defined for English Language Learners

contrast

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verb

Definition 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

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noun

Definition 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

contrast

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verb con·trast \kən-ˈtrast\

Definition of contrast for Students

contrasted

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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.

contrast

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noun con·trast \ˈkän-ˌtrast\

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