contrariness 1 of 3

noun (1)

Definition of contrarinessnext
1
as in rebellion
refusal to obey cursed the contrariness of her beloved mutt when it refused to come back inside the house

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2
as in opposition
the quality or state of being as different as possible a contrariness between his professed altruism and his blatant selfishness

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contrary

2 of 3

adjective

ˈkän-ˌtrer-ē How to pronounce contrary (audio)
1
as in contradictory
being as different as possible the other jurors seemed sure the defendant was guilty, but I came to the contrary conclusion

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2
as in mischievous
engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior a contrary child who wouldn't behave

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3
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control the contrary soldier is facing a court-martial for insubordination

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contrary

3 of 3

noun (2)

ˈkän-ˌtrer-ē How to pronounce contrary (audio)
as in opposite
something that is as different as possible from something else the admonition that we should not return hate with hate, but rather with its contrary—love

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective contrary differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of contrary are antithetical, contradictory, and opposite. While all these words mean "being so far apart as to be or seem irreconcilable," contrary implies extreme divergence or diametrical opposition.

contrary assessments of the war situation

When is it sensible to use antithetical instead of contrary?

While in some cases nearly identical to contrary, antithetical stresses clear and unequivocal diametrical opposition.

a law that is antithetical to the very idea of democracy

In what contexts can contradictory take the place of contrary?

While the synonyms contradictory and contrary are close in meaning, contradictory applies to two things that completely negate each other so that if one is true or valid the other must be untrue or invalid.

made contradictory predictions about whether the market would rise or fall

When can opposite be used instead of contrary?

In some situations, the words opposite and contrary are roughly equivalent. However, opposite applies to things in sharp contrast or in conflict.

opposite views on foreign aid

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of contrariness
Adjective
The desperate, contrary need to be different — to be florid — pulled me completely out of the story. — Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026 But there’s no shortage of people that take a contrary view. — Brent Lang, Variety, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
Soldiers, to the contrary, have regularly stood by as settlers engage in wanton violence against Palestinians. — Raja Shehadeh, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2023 And, it hadn’t been endorsed by big companies such as Pfizer, despite the company's claims to the contrary. — Sabrina Talbert, Women's Health, 23 Jan. 2023 See All Example Sentences for contrariness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrariness
  1. rebellion
  2. opposition
  3. defiance
  4. polarity
  5. willfulness
  6. rebelliousness
Noun
  • Within 36 hours one of the prisoners had an apparent mental breakdown, and on the second day the inmates staged a rebellion.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In their utopian reconstruction of a mythic past, the Agrarians’ polemics failed to mention the South’s legacies of slavery and rebellion.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of rebellion
Noun
  • In October 2023, Machado won an opposition primary and intended to challenge Maduro in the 2024 presidential election, but the government barred her from running for office.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado has returned to Venezuela after ten months abroad, announcing her arrival in a social media post.
    — Carrie Kahn, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of opposition
Noun
  • These women — cradle Catholics and converts, former nuns, teachers, hospice chaplains, counselors, spouses, mothers, grandmothers — say their defiance is the fulfillment of a vocation, no different than the call answered by their male counterparts.
    — Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Taking the Long Way, more than anger or defiance, zeroes in on the sting of being ousted from your own home.
    — Shaad D’Souza, Pitchfork, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of defiance
Noun
  • Reversing the voltage’s polarity reversed the direction of rotation.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Magnetic flux and polarity specs are hard to find because there’s no standard for measuring magnetic flux, and many users don’t seek or need this information.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of polarity
Noun
  • And from that boredom, a different kind of will, the willfulness that accompanies a need to destroy that happiness.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
  • From grandmother to grandchild, these three sets of two sisters were powerful characters possessed with passion, willfulness, bravery, and devotion to each other.
    — Griffin Dunne, Vanity Fair, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of willfulness
Noun
  • That’s great news for Vanguart’s four cofounders, who established the company in 2018 with a wealth of experience, if not some serious horological rebelliousness.
    — Rachel Ingram, Robb Report, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The stigma helped imprint a stamp of rebelliousness on the brand which lives on today, says Carpenter, even as Burton has become a fixture on resort slopes across the world and within the annals of Olympian history.
    — Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of rebelliousness

Phrases Containing contrariness

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contrarily
contrariness
contrariwise
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Cite this Entry

“Contrariness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrariness. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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