CONTRARINESS Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

contrariness

noun

Definition of contrariness

as in rebellion

refusal to obey cursed the contrariness of her beloved mutt when it refused to come back inside the house

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in opposition

the quality or state of being as different as possible a contrariness between his professed altruism and his blatant selfishness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrariness

Noun

During the Sengoku period, clan leader Isshin Ashina leads a successful rebellion against the rulers to secure Ashina’s independence.

— Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026
According to a recent paper by the French Institute of International Relations, the SAF and its supporters claim to be putting down an armed rebellion as Sudan’s legitimate government.

— Mat Nashed, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of rebellion

Noun

The midfielder is a clever front-foot defender, capable of an early tackle or interception to halt opposition momentum.

— Carl Anka, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
In August 2022, little more than two months before the vote that returned him to power, the then-opposition leader published another number and invited Israelis to video call him.

— Deborah Danan, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of opposition

Noun

Since then, mayoral defiance of the legal obligations to enforce the council’s budget has left the city financially short of that modest projection.

— Joe Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
That defiance underscores the central gamble of Washington’s strategy.

— Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of defiance

Noun

At about 230 kelvin, or minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit, the researchers found that strain could change the polarity of this Hall signal.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
The weaponization of frontier AI flips that polarity, reducing the mean time to discovery of infrastructure vulnerabilities and the potential of accelerating data exfiltration from weeks and days to hours and minutes.

— Will Townsend, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of polarity

Noun

Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.

— David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Though the Durutti Column had been a disaster, Wilson was fascinated by the guitarist, who admired punk’s willfulness even though his own musical taste tended toward jazz, blues, and the classical tradition.

— Brad Shoup, Pitchfork, 24 Jan. 2026

Definition of willfulness

Noun

Whether writing five decades ago or today, the genre’s most insightful commentators have always observed how punk fuses rebelliousness with commodification, capitalism with resistance.

— Kyle Devine, Longreads, 14 July 2026
Marji’s rebelliousness, both admirable and terrifying for those who love her, is her salient characteristic.

— Hillary Chute, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026

Definition of rebelliousness

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

contrarily

contrariness

contrariwise

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Contrariness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrariness. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of contrariness

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes