contrary
contrary — adjective
1. standing in direct opposition to something else in character, intent, or directi
standing in direct opposition to something else in character, intent, or direction — for example, two people who take opposite sides on every issue, or a car heading the wrong way down a one-way street.
Minho and his sister Lakshmi hold contrary views on almost every political issue.
collocation: hold contrary views
Dr. Chidi's climate data was contrary to what her research team had predicted.
pattern: be contrary to [noun]
Quinn's account of the accident ran contrary to what the security camera showed.
These two arguments are contrary to each other, so at least one must be wrong.
- contrary view
- contrary opinion
- contrary evidence
- contrary direction
- contrary to belief
- opposite
more direct and common; 'contrary' suggests a more active or fundamental opposition
- conflicting
focuses on clash or incompatibility, often of interests or schedules
- contradictory
specifically about statements or ideas that cannot both be true
- consistent
not changing or in agreement
- compatible
able to exist together without conflict
Usage Note
Frequently followed by the preposition 'to' in the pattern 'be contrary to something'. The meaning is stronger than simply 'different' — it implies direct opposition.
Common Mistakes
2. varying sharply from what the majority accepts or expects — used especially in t
varying sharply from what the majority accepts or expects — used especially in the fixed phrase 'contrary to popular belief' or 'contrary to expectations' to present a fact that may surprise the reader.
Contrary to popular belief, the brown garden spiders in Adina's backyard are completely harmless.
fixed phrase: contrary to popular belief
Contrary to what the morning news reported, the festival was a great success.
Eshe's test results were contrary to everything the doctors had predicted.
Contrary to his parents' hopes, Vikram decided not to attend university.
- contrary to popular belief
- contrary to expectations
- contrary to what...
- opposed to
stronger sense of active resistance; less common in this discourse-marker role
- counter to
more formal, often used in writing or analysis
- in accordance with
showing agreement or alignment
Grammar Patterns
contrary to [noun phrase]
Usage Note
Almost always used in the phrase 'contrary to' (prepositional). The phrase 'contrary to popular belief' is a very common discourse marker used to challenge a widespread assumption. This sense is NOT used directly before a noun (e.g. 'a contrary belief' would mean a belief that opposes another belief — sense 1, not this sense).
Common Mistakes
3. applied to a person who habitually opposes or contradicts others, often simply f
applied to a person who habitually opposes or contradicts others, often simply for the pleasure of arguing rather than out of genuine conviction.
Selim's contrary nature means he always argues even when he secretly agrees.
collocation: contrary nature
Putri found her neighbour's contrary behaviour exhausting and unnecessary.
The more Coach Bilal praised the swimming plan, the more contrary his nephew became about every length.
A contrary toddler might refuse a favourite snack simply because it was offered.
- contrary child
- contrary nature
- contrary attitude
- contrary behaviour
Usage Note
Describes a personality trait or a person's general attitude, not a single opinion. The noun form 'contrariness' is sometimes used. A 'contrary' person is not simply someone who disagrees — they disagree for the sake of disagreeing.
Common Mistakes
4. going against something such as a rule, a goal, or natural force — for example,
going against something such as a rule, a goal, or natural force — for example, winds that blow against a ship's intended route, or a decision that works against someone's interests.
The yacht struggled to reach the harbour in strong contrary winds.
collocation: contrary winds
The planning committee's decision to build a highway was contrary to what the village residents had asked for.
pattern: be contrary to [noun] (obstacle sense)
Diya's promotion went ahead despite contrary advice from her department head.
The runner pushed forward against contrary winds and finished the race.
- contrary wind
- contrary current
- contrary advice
- contrary decision
- unfavourable
broader — can describe any condition that makes success harder
- hostile
much stronger; implies active opposition, not just being unfavourable
- adverse
more formal; common in weather and medical contexts
- favourable
helpful or supportive to a goal
- following
moving in the same direction, especially of wind or current
Usage Note
Often describes physical obstacles (contrary winds, contrary currents) or decisions/rules that work against someone. Distinct from sense 1 (OPPOSITE), which describes two things being opposite each other — this sense describes one force or thing acting against another.
contrary — adverb
1. signalling a direct contrast with the statement that came before, typically at t
signalling a direct contrast with the statement that came before, typically at the opening of a new clause.
Contrary, the lead economist argued that raising corporate taxes could boost local hiring.
sentence adverb for contrast
The north window faces the sunrise; contrary, the south room stays dark all morning.
Some people believe technology divides families; contrary, it can bring them closer.
The patient's fever worsened during the night; contrary, by morning it had dropped.
- contrarily
more common adverb form; same meaning
- conversely
standard in academic writing; used to introduce a reversed perspective
Usage Note
This form is very rare in modern English. Most speakers use 'on the contrary' or 'contrarily' instead. You may encounter 'contrary' used this way in older or very formal writing only.
contrary — noun
1. the complete reverse of a claim, belief, or expectation — the state of affairs t
the complete reverse of a claim, belief, or expectation — the state of affairs that directly contradicts what was previously stated or assumed.
Mark claims the economy is improving, but the evidence suggests the contrary.
the contrary = the opposite fact
Vikram expected a hostile reception, but the contrary proved to be true.
Lara told her mother she was perfectly content, yet everything she did showed the contrary.
The neighbours assumed Mr. Niran had retired, but his daily schedule showed the contrary.
phrase: believe the contrary
- suggest the contrary
- show the contrary
- prove the contrary
- believe the contrary
- the opposite
more common in everyday speech; 'the contrary' is more formal
- the reverse
emphasises a complete turning-around of a situation
Grammar Patterns
the contrary
Usage Note
Always used with the definite article 'the'. Often follows verbs like 'suggest', 'show', 'indicate', 'prove', or 'believe'. For a more conversational alternative, use 'the opposite' instead.
Common Mistakes
2. a fixed phrase used to strongly deny what someone has just said and to state the
a fixed phrase used to strongly deny what someone has just said and to state the opposite as the truth — typically at the start of a sentence that corrects a false impression.
The driving test was not difficult at all. On the contrary, Mei finished it in under ten minutes.
discourse marker correcting a negative statement
Andrei did not reject the job offer. On the contrary, he accepted it right away.
Far from being rude, Christopher was on the contrary very polite and helpful.
The new parking policy did nothing to reduce traffic. On the contrary, more cars appeared each morning.
- on the contrary
- quite the opposite
less formal; same meaning
- far from it
emphatic denial; often used alone or after a comma
- just the reverse
less common but equivalent
Grammar Patterns
on the contrary, [clause]
Usage Note
Use 'on the contrary' after a negative statement to say that the exact reverse is true. Do NOT use it after a positive statement just to add a different idea — use 'in contrast' or 'however' instead. Example: ✅ 'He isn't lazy. On the contrary, he works very hard.' ❌ 'He is tall. On the contrary, his brother is short.'
Common Mistakes
3. a fixed phrase used after a noun to indicate that something (such as evidence, a
a fixed phrase used after a noun to indicate that something (such as evidence, a statement, or a belief) says or proves the opposite of what has been mentioned or assumed.
Unless we receive news to the contrary, the flight will depart at noon as planned.
phrase: news to the contrary
The manager claimed the project was on budget, but Andrei had documents to the contrary.
Despite statements to the contrary, the company laid off two hundred employees last month.
phrase: statements to the contrary
Quinn said the hotel was booked, but a phone call produced evidence to the contrary.
- evidence to the contrary
- statements to the contrary
- news to the contrary
- information to the contrary
- otherwise
adverb that covers the same territory (e.g. 'unless we hear otherwise')
- the opposite
simpler but less formal; used as a noun phrase
Grammar Patterns
evidence/statement to the contrary
Usage Note
Always follows a noun — it acts as a post-modifier. Common nouns used before it: 'evidence', 'information', 'news', 'statement', 'claim', 'suggestion', 'rumour'. The phrase is formal; in conversation, people often say 'showing the opposite' or 'proving otherwise' instead.
Common Mistakes
on the contrary
idiomUsed to say that what was just said is not true and the opposite is true.
Mia thought the movie was boring; on the contrary, I found it exciting.
Did you dislike the trip? On the contrary, I had a wonderful time.
quite the contrary
idiomUsed to strongly emphasize that the opposite of a previous statement is true.
Some say he is lazy; quite the contrary, he works very hard.
You think I am angry? Quite the contrary, I am very pleased.
to the contrary
idiomIndicating that something shows or proves the opposite of what is believed or stated.
Unless you hear evidence to the contrary, assume the plan is approved.
The report claims sales are down, but we have data to the contrary.
Word family
- contrarilyadverbC1
- contrarinessnounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
All four words describe things that are different in a fundamental way, but they differ in scope and tone. 'Opposite' is the most general and common — it can refer to two things at opposite ends of any spectrum (opposite sides of the street, opposite opinions). 'Contrary' adds a sense of active or fundamental opposition, often implying that the two things cannot coexist comfortably (contrary winds, contrary views). 'Conflicting' focuses on clashing or collision — schedules, interests, or reports that cannot be reconciled. 'Contradictory' is more precise: it is used when two statements or facts cannot both be true at the same time. 'Incompatible' is broader and often describes things that cannot work together (personalities, software systems). For everyday use, choose 'opposite' for neutral contrast and 'contrary' when you want to stress a deeper opposition.
Common collocations
Etymology
From Latin 'contrārius', meaning 'against, opposite', built from 'contrā' ('against') plus the suffix '-ārius'. The word entered English in the 13th century through Anglo-French 'contrarie'. The stubborn personality sense (adjective sense 3) appeared in the late 1300s, shifting from 'opposed in nature' to 'a person who habitually opposes others'.