contrary
Noun pluralcontraries (some meanings)
Pluralcontraries (some meanings)
Formscontraries, contrarying, contraried
- 1Going in the opposite direction or position, or working against something.
Like wind blowing straight against you when you try to walk forward.
The wind blew in a contrary direction and pushed the boat back.
Her wishes were contrary to what the rest of the family wanted.
Similaropposite, opposing, adverse, counter
Oppositefavorable
Note
- 2The other way around from what someone said or thought.
Like the other side of a coin.
He said the trip was easy, but I found the contrary.
We expected bad news, but the contrary turned out to be true.
Similaropposite, reverse, converse, antithesis
Note
- 3Going against something and not agreeing with it.
Like two stories about the same event that do not match.
His answer was contrary to everything he told us before.
The two witnesses gave contrary accounts of the crash.
Similaropposing, conflicting, contradictory, opposite, inconsistent
Oppositeconsistent, compatible
Note
- 4Saykuhn-TRAIR-eeUS/kənˈtɹɛɹi/UK/kənˈtɹɛəɹi/Always wanting to argue or do the opposite of what others want.
Like a person who says 'no' just because you said 'yes'.
The contrary toddler refused to wear any shoes his mother offered.
In a contrary mood, she disagreed with every plan we made.
Similarperverse, obstinate, stubborn, awkward, difficult
Oppositecooperative, obliging, accommodating, agreeable
- 5In the opposite way, or against what is expected or said.
Like going left when the arrow points right.
Contrary to what he promised, he never showed up.
She acted contrary to the rules and got in trouble.
Similarcounter
- 6A statement that cannot be true together with its pair, though both can be false.
Like saying 'everyone is here' and 'no one is here': both can't be true, but both can be wrong.
'All cats are black' and 'No cats are black' are contraries, since both can be false.
Each statement in that pair is the contrary of the other.
Note
- 7A loaded die, secretly weighted to fall a certain way when thrown.
He hid a contrary in his sleeve and switched it before the next throw.
The crooked gambler used a contrary to win nearly every game.
Note
- 8To go against someone or to stop their plans from working.
The duke sought to contrary the king's will at every turn.
They contraried his orders and refused to march.
Note
- 9To say someone or something is wrong, or deny what is said.
None dared contrary the elder when he spoke.
I finde them everie one in his turne to have reason, although they contrary one another.
1603, Michel de Montaigne, The EssayesHere, contrary means to say the other is wrong, or deny what they say.Note
- 10To do the opposite of what someone does or wants.
The boy would contrary his sister in everything she chose.
He contraried his father, planting wheat where barley was bid.
- 11To behave in a difficult way, going against what is asked.
The child would contrary at every meal, refusing what he loved yesterday.
She contraried so often that no one trusted her word.
Note
- 12To attack someone's words or honesty, saying they cannot be trusted.
He sought to contrary the witness's good name before the court.
They contraried her honesty without a shred of proof.
- 13To argue against an opinion by taking the other side.
The students would contrary for hours over points of law.
He contraried with the master, defending the losing side.
- 14To go against itself, or to turn into the opposite.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origin
From Latin contrārius, meaning 'opposite', which came from contrā, meaning 'against'. It reached English through Old French and Middle English.