English Explanatory Dictionary

contrast

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A difference in lightness, brightness or hue between two colours that makes them more or less distinguishable.
  2. The degree of this difference.
  3. A control on a television, etc, that adjusts the amount of contrast in the images being displayed.
  4. A difference between two objects, people or concepts.
  5. Something that is opposite of or strikingly different from something else.
  6. Antithesis.
  7. Contrast medium
verb
  1. To set in opposition in order to show the difference or differences between; to counterpoint.
  2. To form a contrast.

Pronunciation

En-us-contrast.ogg /kənˈtɹɑːst/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-contrast (verb).wav /kənˈtɹast/ kəntrăst' kŏn'trăst /kənˈt(ʃ)ɹæst/ /ˈkɑnt(ʃ)ɹæst/

Word forms

contrast contrasts contrasting contrasted

Etymology

From French contraster, from Italian contrastare (“to resist", "to withstand”), from Vulgar Latin *contrāstāre, from Latin contrā (“against”) + stō, stāre (“to stand”).

Antonyms

liken

Related words

compare

Derived words

by contrast contrast agent contrastless contrast medium contrastment contrast radiography contrast ratio contrast set contrast therapy contrasty hysterosalpingo-contrast-sonography hysterosalpingo contrast sonography in contrast in contrast to metacontrast multicontrast noncontrast paracontrast phase contrast microscope phase contrast microscopy postcontrast precontrast radiocontrast reverse contrast thorotrast contrastable compare and contrast contrasting contrastive

Translations

Azerbaijani: təzad Azerbaijani: kontrast Bulgarian: контраст Catalan: contrast Chinese Mandarin: 对比度 Esperanto: kontrasto Finnish: kontrasti Galician: contraste Georgian: კონტრასტი German: Kontrast Italian: contrasto Māori: pūrata Norwegian Bokmål: kontrast Norwegian Nynorsk: kontrast Persian: کنتراست Polish: kontrast Portuguese: contraste Romanian: contrast Russian: контра́ст Spanish: contraste Swedish: kontrast
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