Contrary — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective adverb /ˈkän-ˌtrer-ē/ con·trary

Meaning & Definition of Contrary

Contrary (noun)

  1. a fact or condition incompatible with another, opposite —usually used with the
  2. one of a pair of opposites
  3. a proposition so related to another that though both may be false they cannot both be true

Contrary (adjective)

  1. being so different as to be at opposite extremes, opposite; also, being opposite to or in conflict with each other
  2. being not in conformity with what is usual or expected
  3. unfavorable —used of wind or weather

Contrary (adverb)

  1. contrariwise, contrarily

Contrary (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being as different as possible

    "the other jurors seemed sure the defendant was guilty, but I came to the contrary conclusion"

    similar: antipodal, antipodean, antithetical, contradictory, diametric, opposite, polar
    related: adverse, negative, unfavorable, antagonistic, antipathetic, counter, cross, hostile, converse, inverse, obverse, reverse, alien, disparate, dissimilar, divergent, unalike, unlike
    opposite: noncontradictory
    near: alike, analogous, like, similar, equivalent, identical, same, synonymous

  2. engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior

    "a contrary child who wouldn't behave"

    similar: bad, errant, froward, misbehaving, mischievous, naughty
    related: defiant, disrespectful, ill-mannered, ill-natured, impolite, improper, impudent, indecorous, insolent, rude, uncouth, unmannerly, disobedient, headstrong, intractable, obstreperous, recalcitrant, refractory, transgressing, unruly, untoward, willful, balky, restive, uncontrollable, ungovernable, wayward, wild, arch, elfish, impish, knavish, monkeying, monkeyish, ornery, pixieish, prankish, rascally, roguish, waggish, dissolute, perverse, wrongheaded, disorderly, rowdy, ruffianly, corrupt, evil, wicked, insurgent, mutinous, rebellious, disobliging, inconsiderate, selfish, thoughtless, unkind, unkindly, babyish, childish, immature, infantile, jejune, juvenile, kiddish, puerile
    opposite: behaved, behaving, nice, orderly
    near: acquiescent, compliant, complying, dutiful, obedient, submissive, clean, correct, decent, decorous, moral, proper, respectable, considerate, courteous, kindly, mannerly, polite, thoughtful, angelic, cherubic, divine, heavenly, amenable, docile, governable, tractable, amiable, complaisant, good-natured, obliging, pleasant, discreet, modest, adult, grown-up, mature

  3. given to resisting authority or another's control

    "the contrary soldier is facing a court-martial for insubordination"

    similar: balky, contumacious, defiant, disobedient, froward, incompliant, insubordinate, intractable, obstreperous, rebel, rebellious, recalcitrant, recusant, refractory, restive, ungovernable, unruly, untoward, wayward, willful
    related: noncooperative, uncooperative, insurgent, mutinous, adamant, adamantine, dogged, hardheaded, headstrong, immovable, implacable, inflexible, mulish, negativistic, obdurate, obstinate, opinionated, peevish, pertinacious, pigheaded, rigid, self-willed, stubborn, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, fractious, uncontrollable, unmanageable, wild, perverse, resistant, wrongheaded, bad, disorderly, errant, misbehaving, mischievous, monkeying, monkeyish, naughty, undisciplined, dissident, nonconformist, discourteous, disrespectful, ill-bred, ill-mannered, ill-natured, impertinent, impolite, impudent, inconsiderate, insolent, ornery, rude, uncivil, uncouth, ungracious, unmannerly
    opposite: amenable, biddable, compliant, conformable, docile, obedient, ruly, submissive, tractable
    near: acquiescent, agreeable, amiable, cooperative, deferential, obliging, yielding, behaved, disciplined, well-bred, courteous, polite, respectful, kowtowing, obsequious, servile, slavish, subservient, decorous, mannerly, orderly, proper, controllable, governable, manageable, trainable

Contrary (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. something that is as different as possible from something else

    "the admonition that we should not return hate with hate, but rather with its contrary—love"

    similar: antipode, antithesis, counter, negative, obverse, opposite, reverse
    related: negation, antonym, counterpoint, converse, inverse, mirror image
    near: synonym, analogue, counterpart, carbon copy, copy, duplicate, replica

Related Entry: Contrary to (preposition)

Contrary to is a different word from Contrary. The synonyms below are for contrary to, not for contrary.

  1. as in athwart

    similar: athwart, against, agin (dialect), anti, contra, versus, with
    opposite: for, pro

Related Entry: On the contrary (phrase)

On the contrary is a different word from Contrary. The synonyms below are for on the contrary, not for contrary.

  1. just the opposite being true

    "Did I fail the test? On the contrary, you passed with flying colors!"

    similar: again, contrarily, contrariwise, conversely, if anything, to the contrary
    near: even, indeed, nay, true, truly, verily, yea

Related Entry: To the contrary (phrase)

To the contrary is a different word from Contrary. The synonyms below are for to the contrary, not for contrary.

  1. just the opposite being true

    "We believe their story since there is no evidence to the contrary."

    similar: again, contrarily, contrariwise, conversely, if anything, on the contrary
    near: even, indeed, nay, true, truly, verily, yea

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Contrary

The most common words with a similar meaning to Contrary:

antipodal, antipodean, antithetical, contradictory, diametric, opposite, polar, bad, errant, froward, misbehaving, mischievous, naughty, balky, contumacious, defiant, disobedient, incompliant, insubordinate, intractable, obstreperous, rebel, rebellious, recalcitrant, recusant, refractory, restive, ungovernable, unruly, untoward, wayward, willful, antipode, antithesis, counter, negative, obverse, reverse

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Contrary

Words with the opposite meaning of Contrary:

noncontradictory, behaved, behaving, nice, orderly, amenable, biddable, compliant, conformable, docile, obedient, ruly, submissive, tractable

Related Words for Contrary

adverse, unfavorable, antagonistic, antipathetic, cross, hostile, converse, inverse, alien, disparate, dissimilar, divergent, unalike, unlike, disrespectful, ill-mannered, ill-natured, impolite, improper, impudent, indecorous, insolent, rude, uncouth, unmannerly, headstrong, transgressing, uncontrollable, wild, arch

Near Antonyms of Contrary

alike, analogous, like, similar, equivalent, identical, same, synonymous, acquiescent, complying, dutiful, clean, correct, decent, decorous, moral, proper, respectable, considerate, courteous, kindly, mannerly, polite, thoughtful, angelic, cherubic, divine, heavenly, governable, amiable

Word Forms of Contrary

Inflections: contraries

Derived words: contrarily (adverb), contrariness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Contrary

Middle English contrarie "the opposite, antithesis," borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin contrārium, noun derivative from neuter of Latin contrārius "opposite, opposing" contrary:2

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Contrary

Words & Phrases Containing Contrary

contrary to, contrary to expectations, contrary to popular belief, contrary to popular opinion, on the contrary, to the contrary, appearances to the contrary

Frequently Asked Questions about Contrary

What does "Contrary" mean?

"Contrary" means a fact or condition incompatible with another, opposite —usually used with the. As an a noun, an adjective and an adverb, it is defined as: a fact or condition incompatible with another, opposite —usually used with the. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Contrary"?

Other words for "Contrary" include antipodal, antipodean, antithetical, contradictory, diametric, opposite, polar and bad. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Contrary" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Contrary"?

There are 143 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Contrary". Common alternatives include antipodal, antipodean, antithetical, contradictory, diametric, opposite, polar, bad, errant and froward.

What is the opposite of "Contrary"?

Antonyms of "Contrary" include noncontradictory, behaved, behaving, nice, orderly, amenable, biddable and compliant. Near antonyms include alike, analogous, like and similar.

How do you use "Contrary" in a sentence?

Examples of "Contrary" in a sentence: "the other jurors seemed sure the defendant was guilty, but I came to the contrary conclusion"; "a contrary child who wouldn't behave"; "the contrary soldier is facing a court-martial for insubordination".

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

"Contrary" can be used as a noun, an adjective and an adverb, depending on the context.

Is "Contrary" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Contrary" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Contrary"?

"Contrary" is pronounced /ˈkän-ˌtrer-ē/ and divided into syllables as con·trary.