contrast

contrast — noun

1. A noticeable difference that appears when you compare people, objects, or ideas

1.nounB1
Definition

A noticeable difference that appears when you compare people, objects, or ideas directly.

Example

There is a striking contrast between Pim's relaxed teaching style and his brother's strict methods.

contrast + between + noun + and + noun

Iris prefers working outdoors, a sharp contrast to her sister who likes office jobs.

contrast + to + noun

Common collocations
  • striking contrast
  • sharp contrast
  • marked contrast
  • clear contrast
  • complete contrast
Synonyms
  • difference

    more general; contrast implies a difference that stands out when things are compared directly

  • distinction

    focuses on a fine or subtle separating feature rather than a broad opposition

  • disparity

    suggests inequality or unfair imbalance, e.g. wealth disparity

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

contrast + between + noun + and + noun

contrast + of + noun

contrast + to + noun

Usage Note

Often paired with adjectives like 'striking', 'sharp', 'marked', or 'clear' before the word. 'In contrast to' and 'by contrast' are common fixed phrases used to introduce a comparison.

Common Mistakes

The contrast between the two photos is big.
The contrast between the two photos is striking.
'Big' is too vague; use 'striking,' 'sharp,' or 'marked' with contrast.

2. The level of separation between bright and shadowed parts of an image, whether o

2.nounB1
Definition

The level of separation between bright and shadowed parts of an image, whether on a screen, in a photo, or in a painting.

Example

Ryo raised the contrast on his screen to make the small text easier to read.

contrast + on + [device]

The photographer raised the contrast so the white flowers stood out against the dark background.

Common collocations
  • high contrast
  • low contrast
  • contrast ratio
  • adjust the contrast
  • increase contrast
  • decrease contrast
Synonyms
  • brightness range

    a more technical term for the span between lightest and darkest tones

  • tonal range

    broader term covering all shades between black and white

Grammar Patterns

contrast + of + noun

high/low contrast

Usage Note

Used as an uncountable noun in photography and design contexts. Can be modified with 'high' or 'low' to describe the degree of separation between light and dark.

Common Mistakes

This TV has good contrasts.
This TV has good contrast.
In this meaning, contrast is uncountable and does not take a plural -s.
Idioms

in contrast (to/with)

idiom

Used when comparing two things to show that one is very different from the other.

In contrast to last year's rainy summer, this year has been hot and dry.

by contrast

idiom

Used to highlight the difference between two people or things you are comparing, especially when the second one is very different from the first.

The north of the island is crowded with tourists; the south, by contrast, remains quiet and empty.

contrast — verb

Word family

  • contrasting
    adjectiveB2
  • contrastive
    adjectiveC1
  • contrasted
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These words all refer to ways in which things are not the same, but each has a different focus. 'Difference' is the most general and neutral term — any two things that are not identical have a difference. 'Distinction' implies a finer or more subtle separating feature, often one that requires careful observation to notice, such as a distinction between two similar shades of blue. 'Disparity' carries a sense of inequality or imbalance, typically used for measurable gaps like income disparity or age disparity. 'Divergence' suggests that two things started similarly but moved apart over time, as in a divergence of political opinions within a party. 'Contrast', meanwhile, focuses on differences that become clear when things are placed side by side, and often implies that the differences are striking or deliberate. For example, you would say there is a contrast between a peaceful village and a busy city, but a disparity in wealth between the two areas.

differencedistinctiondisparitydivergence

Common collocations

Nouns

  • difference
  • comparison
  • distinction
  • opposition

Adverbs

  • sharply
  • strongly
  • strikingly
  • clearly
  • beautifully
  • dramatically

Phrases

  • in contrast to
  • in contrast with
  • by contrast
  • stand in contrast to

Prepositions

  • between
  • to
  • with
  • against

Etymology

LatinItalianFrenchEnglish

The word 'contrast' comes from Latin 'contra' meaning 'against' and 'stare' meaning 'to stand'. These combined into the Late Latin verb 'contrastare' (to stand against, to resist). The word passed through Italian 'contrasto' (a fight or opposition) and French 'contraste' before entering English in the late 1600s. The photographic/visual meaning — the degree of separation between light and dark — developed in the 1800s as photography and visual arts adopted the word to describe tonal differences.