contrast
verb/kənˈtrɑːst/
/kənˈtræst/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they contrast | /kənˈtrɑːst/ /kənˈtræst/ |
| he / she / it contrasts | /kənˈtrɑːsts/ /kənˈtræsts/ |
| past simple contrasted | /kənˈtrɑːstɪd/ /kənˈtræstɪd/ |
| past participle contrasted | /kənˈtrɑːstɪd/ /kənˈtræstɪd/ |
| -ing form contrasting | /kənˈtrɑːstɪŋ/ /kənˈtræstɪŋ/ |
- [transitive] to compare two things in order to show the differences between them
- contrast A and B The poem contrasts youth and age.
- Compare and contrast the two novels (= discuss how they are similar and how they are different).
- contrast A with B It is interesting to contrast the British legal system with the American one.
Extra Examples- Compare and contrast the two main characters in the play.
- He contrasted her brashness unfavourably with his mother's gentleness.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- favourably/favorably
- unfavourably/unfavorably
- with
- compare and contrast
- [intransitive] to show a clear difference when close together or when compared
- A contrasts with B Her actions contrasted sharply with her promises.
- A and B contrast Her actions and her promises contrasted sharply.
Extra Examples- This statement contrasts starkly with his previous statements.
- The open approach contrasts favourably with the exclusivity of some universities.
- His cream shirt contrasted beautifully with his tan skin.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- dramatically
- greatly
- markedly
- …
- with
Word Originlate 17th cent. (as a term in fine art, in the sense ‘juxtapose so as to bring out differences in form and colour’): from French contraste (noun), contraster (verb), via Italian from medieval Latin contrastare, from Latin contra- ‘against’ + stare ‘stand’.
Check pronunciation:
contrast