counteract

verb

coun·​ter·​act ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈakt 

counteracted; counteracting; counteracts

transitive verb

: to make ineffective or restrain or neutralize the usually ill effects of by means of an opposite force, action, or influence

a drug used to counteract fatigue

counteraction

ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈak-shən 

noun

counteractive

ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈak-tiv 

adjective

Synonyms of counteract

• offset
• neutralize
• correct

Examples of counteract in a Sentence

The drug will counteract the poison.

this medication will counteract the symptoms but it won't kill the infection

Recent Examples on the Web

Unlike other low-orbit satellites, Swift does not have a propulsion system that can counteract the pull of the Earth orbit. — Sara Hashemi, Popular Science, 9 Sep. 2026

On April 3, the AP released the raw footage of the incident to counteract her claims. — Nick Holdstock, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026

The Correct the Map campaign, endorsed by the African Union, advocates for this map projection to help counteract misperceptions fed by projections like the Mercator map. — Jewel Bright, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026

The emergence of Chase Burns in 2026 has been counteracted by a lost season for Hunter Greene and the collective struggles of Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo and Rhett Lowder. — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1655, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for counteract

• artefact
• artifact
• inexact
• interact
• noncontact
• reenact
• subcontract
• abstract
• attacked
• attract
• contact
• contract

Kids Definition

counteract

verb

coun·​ter·​act ˌkau̇nt-ə-ˈrakt 

: to lessen the force, action, or influence of : offset

a drug that counteracts a poison

counteraction

-ˈrak-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

counteract

transitive verb

coun·​ter·​act ˌkau̇nt-ə-ˈrakt 

: to make ineffective or restrain or neutralize the usually ill effects of by an opposite force

vitamin K counteracts the effects of warfarin

counteraction

-ˈrak-shən 

noun