1
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contrariness
Ellen Whitlock Baker, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Each makes its contrary unreal, even absurd.
—Roy Scranton
august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
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
Adjective
Some will feel comfortable stating contrary opinions in front of the rest of the team; some won’t.
—Ellen Whitlock Baker, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Each makes its contrary unreal, even absurd.
—Roy Scranton
august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
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
Adjective
-
Referral pathways must connect primary care, gynaecology, mental health, and cardiometabolic services so women are not left to navigate a maze with contradictory advice.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
-
These emails not only highlight Prince Andrew’s contradictory statements, but also suggest a disturbing willingness to deflect from the truth and evade accountability.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Orsoni has salt-and-pepper hair and an exaggerated, slightly mischievous energy.—
Aislyn Greene,
AFAR Media,
15 Oct. 2025
-
The trailer hints at a lavish production, with Sharpe playing a mischievous Mozart, bounding through a stately home and jumping to reach a chandelier.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
But the couple have yet to conceive an heir, so when Jerome absconds and his dashing friend Manfred (Galitzine) arrives with dastardly intentions, Hero (Corrin), Cherry’s wily and loyal maid, is forced to concoct a plan to distract Manfred by telling captivating stories about rebellious women.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Oct. 2025
-
With her King Kylie persona, Jenner showed off more rebellious, edgy and experimental looks, including blue hair.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Other credits include playing opposite Nicolas Cage in Between Worlds, starring alongside Hilary Duff and Jonathan Bennett in The Haunting of Sharon Tate, and headlining Lifetime’s Psycho Sister-in-Law.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
17 Oct. 2025
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Although the new commercial space ethos of building satellites fast and cheap has dominated Earth imaging from space for years, deep-space astronomy has so far been headed mostly in the opposite direction — trending toward more complex machines worth billions of dollars.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In a viral Reddit post, a naughty cat dipped his paws in pasta sauce turning his fur orange—now the stains won’t go away.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The naughty list People walk past the Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on November 29, 2024 in New York City.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The 64-year-old actor famously portrays rebel leader Morpheus, captain of the Nebuchadnezzar, in the hit sci-fi action film franchise.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
-
The palace officials assured them the president was there, hashing out a plan with his military and Russian and Iranian advisers to confront the advancing rebel forces.—
Danny Makki,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
So sorry, fantasy coaches and anybody that bet on me, my bad.—
Michael Nowels,
Mercury News,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Joseph had maybe his worst day of the year.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Kurt Caz, a white South African social-media star with millions of followers across platforms, first gained popularity through filming his defiant tours of dangerous neighborhoods in countries such as Venezuela and Kenya.—
T. M. Brown,
New Yorker,
15 Oct. 2025
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In a defiant address to the nation on Monday night, Rajoelina said that he had been forced to move to a safe place because of threats to his life.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contrariness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrariness. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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