OPPOSE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does oppose mean? 

• OPPOSE (verb)
  The verb OPPOSE has 6 senses:

1. be against; express opposition to

2. fight against or resist strongly

3. contrast with equal weight or force

4. set into opposition or rivalry

5. act against or in opposition to

6. be resistant to

  Familiarity information: OPPOSE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• OPPOSE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they oppose    ... he / she / it opposes   
Past simple: opposed   
Past participle: opposed   
-ing form: opposing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Be against; express opposition to

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

We oppose the ban on abortion

Hypernyms (to "oppose" is one way to...):

argue; contend; debate; fence (have an argument about something)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "oppose"):

contend; contest; repugn (to make the subject of dispute, contention, or litigation)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

Sam cannot oppose Sue

Derivation:

opponent (someone who offers opposition)

opponent (characterized by active hostility)

opposer (someone who offers opposition)

opposition (the action of opposing something that you disapprove or disagree with)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Fight against or resist strongly

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

defend; fight; fight back; fight down; oppose

Context example:

Don't fight it!

Hypernyms (to "oppose" is one way to...):

contend; fight; struggle (be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "oppose"):

recalcitrate (show strong objection or repugnance; manifest vigorous opposition or resistance; be obstinately disobedient)

fend; resist; stand (withstand the force of something)

hold out; resist; stand firm; withstand (stand up or offer resistance to somebody or something)

drive back; fight off; rebuff; repel; repulse (force or drive back)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

opponent (characterized by active hostility)

opposer (someone who offers opposition)

opposition (the act of hostile groups opposing each other)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Contrast with equal weight or force

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

counterbalance; oppose

Hypernyms (to "oppose" is one way to...):

contrast; counterpoint (to show differences when compared; be different)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "oppose"):

counterpoise; counterpose; counterweight (constitute a counterweight or counterbalance to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Set into opposition or rivalry

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

match; oppose; pit; play off

Context example:

He plays his two children off against each other

Hypernyms (to "oppose" is one way to...):

confront; face (oppose, as in hostility or a competition)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

opponent (a contestant that you are matched against)

opponent (characterized by active hostility)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Act against or in opposition to

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

oppose; react

Context example:

She reacts negatively to everything I say

Hypernyms (to "oppose" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "oppose"):

act on; follow up on; pursue (carry further or advance)

buck; go against (resist)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

opponent (characterized by active hostility)

opposer (someone who offers opposition)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Be resistant to

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

contradict; controvert; oppose

Context example:

The board opposed his motion

Hypernyms (to "oppose" is one way to...):

rebut; refute (overthrow by argument, evidence, or proof)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "oppose"):

blackball; negative; veto (vote against; refuse to endorse; refuse to assent)

dissent; protest; resist (express opposition through action or words)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

opponent (characterized by active hostility)

opposer (someone who offers opposition)

 Context examples 

The device problem was traced back to the manufacture of the device as opposed to systems used to control the manufacture of the device (quality system).

(Device Manufacturing Deficiency Evaluation Conclusion, Food and Drug Administration)

In some points of interest they were exactly opposed to each other.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Catherine endeavoured to persuade her, as she was herself persuaded, that her father and mother would never oppose their son's wishes.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Saturn and Pluto will oppose this full moon eclipse, so it appears you will be willing to accept more responsibility at home.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

The loss of tooth structure by mechanical forces from opposing teeth.

(Dental Attrition, NCI Thesaurus)

Sometimes he almost wished she would oppose him more.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

It was a union of the highest promise of felicity in itself, and without one real, rational difficulty to oppose or delay it.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

But in this he was eagerly opposed by his wife, with "Oh! no, indeed, Charles, I cannot bear to have you go away. Only think if anything should happen?"

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

This is the first recorded trembling that appears to have come from inside the planet, as opposed to being caused by forces above the surface, such as wind.

(NASA's InSight Detects First Likely 'Quake' on Mars, NASA)

"These two proteins are very similar in structure, but they are doing opposing things in cells," says Felix Hausch, Ph.D., the project's principal investigator.

(Depression, Obesity, Chronic Pain Could be Treated by Targeting the Same Key Protein, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)