Against — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

preposition conjunction adjective /ə-ˈgen(t)st/

Meaning & Definition of Against

Against (preposition)

  1. in opposition or hostility to
  2. not in conformity with, contrary to
  3. in competition with

Against (conjunction)

  1. in preparation for the time when

Against (preposition) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. in or into contact with

    "he leaned against the fence and it collapsed"

    "unwittingly rubbed his leg against some poison ivy"

    similar: on, upon
    related: alongside, next, next to, upside

  2. opposed to; not for

    "I'm against going to see the parade if it's raining"

    similar: agin (dialect), anti, contra
    related: athwart, contrary to, versus, with
    opposite: for, pro

Against (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in opposed

    similar: opposed, averse, disinclined, hesitant, loath, reluctant, unwilling, hard, inflexible, relentless, stern, unbending, unflinching, unrelenting, balky, contrary, contumacious, defiant, froward, incompliant, insubordinate, intractable, obstreperous, rebel, rebellious, recalcitrant, recusant, refractory, ungovernable, unruly, untoward, wayward, willful, adverse, counter, disadvantageous, hostile, inimical, negative, prejudicial, unfavorable, unfriendly, unsympathetic, competing, conflicting, counteracting, countering, opposing, resistant, resisting
    opposite: unresistant, tolerant, understanding, affable, agreeable, amiable, amicable, benign, benignant, complying, congenial, cordial, friendly, hospitable, advantageous, favorable, positive, supportive, sympathetic, well-disposed

Related Entry: Run against (phrase)

Run against is a different word from Against. The synonyms below are for run against, not for against.

  1. to come upon unexpectedly or by chance

    "It surprised her that she ran against some resistance when she presented her plan for the company."

    similar: chance (upon), encounter, find, happen (on or upon), hit (upon), light (on or upon), meet, pitch (upon), stumble (on or onto), tumble (upon), bump into, come across, run across, run into, run upon
    related: luck (out, on, onto, or into), confront, face, discover, strike, turn up

Related Entry: Ran against (phrase)

Ran against is a different word from Against. The synonyms below are for ran against, not for against.

  1. to come upon unexpectedly or by chance

    "It surprised her that she ran against some resistance when she presented her plan for the company."

    similar: chanced (upon), encountered, found, happened (on or upon), hit (upon), lit (on or upon), met, pitched (upon), stumbled (on or onto), tumbled (upon), bumped into, came across, ran across, ran into, ran upon
    related: lucked (out, on, onto, or into), confronted, faced, discovered, struck, turned up

Related Entry: Runs against (phrase)

Runs against is a different word from Against. The synonyms below are for runs against, not for against.

  1. to come upon unexpectedly or by chance

    "It surprised her that she ran against some resistance when she presented her plan for the company."

    similar: chances (upon), encounters, finds, happens (on or upon), hits (upon), lights (on or upon), meets, pitches (upon), stumbles (on or onto), tumbles (upon), bumps into, comes across, runs across, runs into, runs upon
    related: lucks (out, on, onto, or into), confronts, faces, discovers, strikes, turns up

Related Entry: Running against (phrase)

Running against is a different word from Against. The synonyms below are for running against, not for against.

  1. to come upon unexpectedly or by chance

    "It surprised her that she ran against some resistance when she presented her plan for the company."

    similar: chancing (upon), encountering, finding, happening (on or upon), hitting (upon), lighting (on or upon), meeting, pitching (upon), stumbling (on or onto), tumbling (upon), bumping into, coming across, running across, running into, running upon
    related: lucking (out, on, onto, or into), confronting, facing, discovering, striking, turning up

Related Entry: Butt (on or against) (verb)

Butt (on or against) is a different word from Against. The synonyms below are for butt (on or against), not for against.

  1. to be adjacent to

    "our property butts on a swamp"

    similar: abut, adjoin, border (on), flank, fringe, join, march (with), neighbor, skirt, touch, verge (on)
    related: attach (to), communicate (with), connect (with), link (with), bound, embrace, encircle, enclose, fence, line, margin, rim, surround, contact, converge, meet

Related Entry: Clock (noun)

Clock is a different word from Against. The synonyms below are for clock, not for against.

  1. a device to measure time

    "the clock reads 5:00 p.m."

    similar: chronometer, timekeeper, timepiece, timer
    related: alarm clock, atomic clock, cuckoo clock, grandfather clock, time clock, clepsydra, hourglass, sandglass, sundial, water clock, chronograph, stopwatch, watch

Related Entry: Guard (against) (verb)

Guard (against) is a different word from Against. The synonyms below are for guard (against), not for against.

  1. to be cautious of or on guard against

    "unfortunately, you have to guard against theft while you're traveling"

    similar: beware (of), look out (for), mind, ware, watch out (for), be on the lookout for, keep one's eyes open for
    related: attend, heed, mark, note, notice, behold, discern, observe, perceive, see, watch
    near: discount, disregard, ignore, miss, overlook

Related Entry: Hope (for) (verb)

Hope (for) is a different word from Against. The synonyms below are for hope (for), not for against.

  1. to believe in the future occurrence of (something)

    "he was hoping for an A in English"

    similar: anticipate, await, expect, watch (for), look for, look forward to
    related: bank on, count (on or upon), depend (on or upon), rely (on or upon), wait (for), envisage, envision, foresee, foretell, predict, prophesy, assume, presume, presuppose, contemplate, eye, view
    near: doubt, question

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Against

The most common words with a similar meaning to Against:

Dialect: agin
on, upon, anti, contra, opposed, averse, disinclined, hesitant, loath, reluctant, unwilling, hard, inflexible, relentless, stern, unbending, unflinching, unrelenting, balky, contrary, contumacious, defiant, froward, incompliant, insubordinate, intractable, obstreperous, rebel, rebellious, recalcitrant, recusant, refractory, ungovernable, unruly, untoward, wayward, willful, adverse, counter, disadvantageous

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Against

Words with the opposite meaning of Against:

for, pro, unresistant, tolerant, understanding, affable, agreeable, amiable, amicable, benign, benignant, complying, congenial, cordial, friendly, hospitable, advantageous, favorable, positive, supportive, sympathetic, well-disposed

Related Words for Against

alongside, next, next to, upside, athwart, contrary to, versus, with

Origin & Etymology of Against

Middle English ayenest, ayenst, ayeinst, agaynste, alteration (with parasitic -t, perhaps originally from partial assimilation to a following article) of ayeines, ageynes, from ayein, ageyn again + -es -

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Against

  • Topics: Grammar Function Words

Words & Phrases Containing Against

against the clock, against (all) expectations, against all logic, against all odds, against one's advice, against one's better judgment, against one's will

Frequently Asked Questions about Against

What does "Against" mean?

"Against" means in opposition or hostility to. As an a preposition, a conjunction and an adjective, it is defined as: in opposition or hostility to. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Against"?

Other words for "Against" include on, upon, agin, anti, contra, opposed, averse and disinclined. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Against" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Against"?

There are 63 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Against". Common alternatives include on, upon, agin, anti, contra, opposed, averse, disinclined, hesitant and loath.

What is the opposite of "Against"?

Antonyms of "Against" include for, pro, unresistant, tolerant, understanding, affable, agreeable and amiable.

How do you use "Against" in a sentence?

Examples of "Against" in a sentence: "he leaned against the fence and it collapsed"; "unwittingly rubbed his leg against some poison ivy"; "I'm against going to see the parade if it's raining".

Is "Against" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Against" can be used as a preposition, a conjunction and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Against"?

"Against" is pronounced /ə-ˈgen(t)st/.

What is the origin of the word "Against"?

"Against" comes from Middle English ayenest, ayenst, ayeinst, agaynste, alteration (with parasitic -t, perhaps originally from partial assimilation to a following article) of ayeines, ageynes, from ayein, ageyn again + -es -. First known use: 13th century.