contrast
noun OPAL WOPAL S
/ˈkɒntrɑːst/
/ˈkɑːntræst/
- [countable, uncountable] a difference between two or more people or things that you can see clearly when they are compared or put close together; the fact of comparing two or more things in order to show the differences between them
- The two cities make an interesting contrast.
- contrast between A and B There is an obvious contrast between the cultures of East and West.
- in contrast In contrast, the south suffered very little hurricane damage.
- in contrast to somebody/something The situation when we arrived was in marked contrast to the news reports.
- The poverty of her childhood stands in total contrast to her life in Hollywood.
- The company lost $7 million this quarter in contrast to a profit of $6.2 million a year earlier.
- contrast with somebody/something to show a sharp/stark/striking contrast with something
- contrast in something A wool jacket complements the silk trousers and provides an interesting contrast in texture.
- by contrast When you look at their new system, ours seems very old-fashioned by contrast.
- contrast of A and B Careful contrast of the two plans shows some important differences.
Language Bank contrastcontrastHighlighting differences- This survey highlights a number of differences in the way that teenage boys and girls in the UK spend their free time.
- One of the main differences between the girls and the boys who took part in the research was the way in which they use the internet.
- Unlike the girls, who use the internet mainly to keep in touch with friends, the boys questioned in this survey tend to use the internet for playing computer games.
- The girls differ from the boys in that they tend to spend more time keeping in touch with friends on the phone or on social networking websites.
- Compared to the boys, the girls spend much more time chatting to friends on the phone.
- On average the girls spend four hours a week chatting to friends on the phone. In contrast, very few of the boys spend more than five minutes a day talking to their friends in this way.
- The boys prefer competitive sports and computer games, whereas/while the girls seem to enjoy more cooperative activities, such as shopping with friends.
- When the girls go shopping, they mainly buy clothes and cosmetics. The boys, on the other hand, tend to purchase computer games or gadgets.
Extra Examples- The company lost $13 million this year, in contrast with a profit of $15 million last year.
- The contrast between the sisters was very strong.
- The contrast in appearance between the sisters was striking.
- The flowers provide a contrast with the dark background.
- The fresh fruit provides a contrast to the rich chocolate pudding.
- The writer emphasizes the contrast between conventional and alternative medicine.
- When you look at their new system, ours seems very old-fashioned by contrast.
- Their attitudes to marriage stand in stark contrast to those of their parents.
- There is a stark contrast between the lives of the rich and those of the poor.
- There is a striking contrast between the two painters' work.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- clear
- marked
- sharp
- …
- make
- offer
- present
- …
- by contrast
- in contrast
- in contrast to
- …
- stand in… contrast to somebody/something
- [countable, usually singular] contrast (to somebody/something) a person or thing that is clearly different from somebody/something else
- The work you did today is quite a contrast to (= very much better/worse than) what you did last week.
Extra Examples- This busy social life was a complete contrast to his old quiet life.
- Her hair was black, a stunning contrast to her pale complexion.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- clear
- marked
- sharp
- …
- make
- offer
- present
- …
- by contrast
- in contrast
- in contrast to
- …
- stand in… contrast to somebody/something
- [uncountable] differences in colour or in light and dark, used in photographs and paintings to create a special effect
- The artist's use of contrast is masterly.
- [uncountable] the amount of difference between light and dark in a photograph or the picture on a television screen
- Use this button to adjust the contrast.
Word Originlate 17th cent. (as a term in fine art, in the sense ‘juxtapose so as to bring out differences in form and colour’): from French contraste (noun), contraster (verb), via Italian from medieval Latin contrastare, from Latin contra- ‘against’ + stare ‘stand’.