INDEX:
opposite/different
1. when two things or people are completely different
2. someone or something that is completely different from someone or something else
3. opposite opinions, statements etc
4. a statement or situation that contains two opposite ideas
opposite direction
5. in or from the opposite direction
opposite/facing each other
6. to be opposite something or someone
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1. when two things or people are completely different
▷ opposite /ˈɒpəzɪt, ˈɒpəzətǁˈɑː-/ [adjective]
as different as possible from something else :
▪ We have opposite viewpoints on almost everything.
▪ During the summer there wasn’t enough rain, but now we have the opposite problem.
▪ Getting angry with him didn’t work, so I tried the opposite approach.
the opposite result/effect/conclusion etc
▪ The medicine was supposed to make him sleepy, but it had the opposite effect.
▷ be opposites /biː ˈɒpəzɪtsǁ-ˈɑːp-/ [verb phrase]
if two people or things are opposites, they are as different as possible from each other :
▪ Although the sweet and sour flavours are opposites, they combine very well in this oriental dish.
be complete opposites
▪ In both looks and personality the girls were complete opposites.
be opposites in
▪ We were alike in interests and tastes, but we were opposites in temperament.
▷ reverse /rɪˈvɜːʳs/ [adjective only before noun]
opposite to what is usual or to what has just been stated :
▪ In some families the father goes out to work and the mother stays at home. In others, the reverse situation is true.
▪ His advice had the reverse effect to that intended.
▷ be the antithesis of /biː ði ænˈtɪθə̇sə̇s ɒv/ [verb phrase] formal
to be completely opposite in quality or character to something :
▪ Love is the antithesis of selfishness.
▪ His policies are the antitheses of all that makes us a decent, tolerant society.
2. someone or something that is completely different from someone or something else
▷ the opposite /ði ˈɒpəzə̇tǁ-ˈɑːp-/ [singular noun]
▪ Our first baby hardly ever cried in the night, but our second is the opposite - we never get any sleep.
the opposite of
▪ ‘Light’ is the opposite of both ‘dark’ and ‘heavy’.
do the opposite
▪ They asked for our advice and then did the opposite!
exactly/just the opposite
▪ I thought she’d be upset by the news, but her reaction was exactly the opposite.
▷ the reverse /ðə rɪˈvɜːʳs/ [singular noun] formal
the exact opposite of the situation, idea, process that has just been mentioned :
▪ The acid must be added to the water -- doing the reverse can be highly dangerous.
▪ The economic situation is certainly improving, although widespread unemployment suggests the reverse.
the reverse of
▪ He said that the rioters had been killed accidentally, the reverse of what had actually happened.
▷ the other way around /round British /ðiː ˌʌðəʳ weɪ əˈraʊnd, ˈraʊnd/ [noun phrase]
the opposite of what you thought or of what someone has just said :
▪ No, the street was named after the college, not the other way around the college was not named after the street .
▪ I thought he was the boss and she was his secretary, but in fact it was the other way around.
▷ vice versa /ˌvaɪs ˈvɜːʳsə, ˌvaɪsi-/ [adverb]
used to talk about the opposite of a situation that you have just mentioned :
▪ Whenever I’m at home, my husband seems to be out, and vice versa when I am out, he’s at home !
▪ Astronomers were still uncertain whether the Earth travelled around the Sun or vice-versa.
▪ Dutch speakers can usually understand German quite well, but not vice versa.
▷ go to the opposite extreme/go from one extreme to the other /gəʊ tə ði ˌɒpəzɪt ɪkˈstriːmǁ-ˌɑːp-, gəʊ frəm ˌwʌn ɪkˌstriːm tə ði ˈʌðəʳ/ [verb phrase]
to stop doing one thing far too much, but then start doing the opposite far too much :
▪ She used to eat too much, but now she’s gone to the opposite extreme and is practically starving herself.
▪ Doug’s gone from one extreme to the other - it used to be impossible to drag him away from the TV. Now we can’t get him to stay home.
3. opposite opinions, statements etc
▷ opposite /ˈɒpəzɪt, ˈɒpəzətǁˈɑːp-/ [adjective]
▪ We’re good friends, but we have opposite views when it comes to politics.
▪ It is strange how two scientists studying the same problem can come to completely opposite conclusions.
▪ Margaret has very strong opinions, but she always tries to understand the opposite point of view.
▷ opposing /əˈpəʊzɪŋ/ [adjective only before noun]
opposing opinions, beliefs, statements etc are the opposite of each other :
▪ Bobbie and Jo have opposing views on marriage.
▪ Brad was prepared to accept that opposing beliefs could be held equally strongly and passionately.
▪ The Party seems to be unsure which of two opposing political philosophies to follow.
▷ diametrically opposed /daɪəˌmetrɪkli əˈpəʊzd/ [adjective]
completely opposite to and completely disagreeing with each other :
▪ He feels that his Christian beliefs and the principles of capitalism are diametrically opposed.
▷ on the contrary /ɒn ðe ˈkɒntrəriǁ-ˈkɑːntreri/ [adverb] spoken formal
use this to tell someone that the opposite of what they say is true :
▪ ‘Do you think the divorce will upset her family?’ ‘On the contrary. It will probably come as a relief.’
▪ ‘You probably aren’t interested in my opinion.’ ‘On the contrary, any ideas you have to add would be very welcome.’
▷ just the opposite/reverse also quite the opposite/reverse especially British, spoken /ˌdʒʌst ði ˈɒpəzə̇t, rɪˈvɜːʳs, ˌkwaɪt ði ˈɒpəzə̇t, rɪˈvɜːʳsǁ-ˈɑːp-/ [adverb]
use this to tell someone that the opposite of a situation or statement is true :
▪ My friends say I spend too much time studying, but my parents say just the opposite.
▪ We were not in love at the time - quite the opposite in fact.
4. a statement or situation that contains two opposite ideas
▷ paradox /ˈpærədɒksǁ-dɑːks/ [countable noun]
a statement or situation that contains two opposite ideas or parts, so that it seems strange that they could both be true at the same time :
▪ There’s a paradox in the fact that although we’re living longer than ever before, people are more obsessed with health issues than they ever were.
paradoxical /ˌpærəˈdɒksɪk ə l, ˌpærəˈdɒksək ə lǁ-ˈdɑːks-/ [adjective]
▪ Raising interest rates seems a paradoxical way of bringing down inflation.
paradoxically [adverb]
▪ Paradoxically, it’s the parents who try to protect their children most who can make them unable to cope with risky situations on their own.
5. in or from the opposite direction
▷ the other way /ði ˌʌðəʳ ˈweɪ/ [adverb]
in or from the opposite direction :
▪ Turn around and face the other way.
▪ I waved to her but she didn’t see -- she was looking the other way.
▪ When you’re overtaking, make sure there’s nothing coming the other way.
▷ the opposite direction/the other direction /ði ˌɒpəzə̇t də̇ˈrekʃ ə nǁ-ˌɑːp-, ði ˌʌðəʳ də̇ˈrekʃ ə n/ [noun phrase]
in the opposite/other direction
▪ The driver sped off in the opposite direction.
▪ Gloria and Mae set off one way while Ruth and Sarah went in the other direction.
from the opposite direction
▪ While everyone was watching the action on the left of the stage, the dancers entered from the opposite direction
▷ in opposite directions /ɪn ˌɒpəzə̇t də̇ˈrekʃ ə nzǁ-ˌɑːp-/ [adverb]
moving or facing in the opposite direction from each other :
▪ There were two paths going in opposite directions.
▪ Two trains travelling in opposite directions crashed, killing twenty passengers.
6. to be opposite something or someone
▷ opposite /ˈɒpəzɪt, ˈɒpəzətǁˈɑːp-/ []
something that is opposite something else is facing it, for example on the other side of the street or on the other side of a table. In American English this is not used as an adverb :
▪ The bathroom is opposite the bedroom.
▪ When you get off the bus, you’ll see a grocery store on the opposite side of the street.
directly opposite
exactly opposite
▪ The entrance to the park is directly opposite our house.
diagonally opposite
opposite and to one side
▪ Diagonally opposite the stove is a large stone sink.
the house/chair/man etc opposite
▪ Pointing to the chair opposite, he said ‘Come and talk to me for a while.’
sit/stand etc opposite
▪ There was a thin dark woman sitting opposite me.
live opposite
to live in the opposite house
▪ The only contact she has is with the woman who lives opposite.
▷ face /feɪs/ [transitive verb]
if one person, building, seat etc faces another, they are opposite each other, and each has their front towards the other :
▪ Courtney’s apartment faces the harbour.
▪ The seat facing mine was empty.
▪ They stood facing each other for a few minutes.
▷ across /əˈkrɒsǁəˈkrɔːs/ [preposition]
across the street/road/river/table etc
opposite from where you are, and on the other side of the street, road etc :
▪ She lives across the road.
▪ The prisoners’ cells faced each other across an aisle.
across the street/road etc from somebody/something
▪ Bill sat down across the desk from him.
▪ Across the street from where we were standing was a little park.
across from
across the road from a place
▪ There’s a hotel across from the station where we can go.
▷ face to face /ˌfeɪs tə ˈfeɪs/ [adverb]
if two people are face to face, they are very close to and facing each other :
sit/stand face to face
▪ We sat face to face across a narrow table.
▪ They stood face to face, each struggling to control his temper.
come face to face with somebody
suddenly and unexpectedly face someone
▪ Turning the corner I came face to face with a security guard.
▷ on the other side /ɒn ði ˌʌðəʳ ˈsaɪd/ [adverb]
on the opposite side of something :
▪ If you look across the lake, you can see Donald’s house on the other side.
on the other side of
▪ You can park on the other side of the road.
▪ There was a little boat moored on the other side of the river.