ENGLISH
REFERENCE

contrast

n. · v.
US //ˈkɑntɹæst// con·trast
  1. 1 a difference between things (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a clear and obvious difference between two people, things, or ideas.

    the state of being strikingly different from something else in juxtaposition or association.

    Example

    The contrast between the busy city and the quiet countryside is amazing.

    Example

    The stark contrast between the candidate's optimistic rhetoric and the country's grim economic reality was not lost on the voters.

    Usage

    Often used with the preposition 'between' or 'to'.
    Pitfall
    There is a big contrast of the two cities.
    There is a big contrast between the two cities.

    Use 'between' when comparing two specific things using 'contrast' as a noun.

  2. 2 visual brightness (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the difference between the light and dark parts of a picture or screen.

    the scale of difference between the darkest and lightest tones in an image or the degree of color differentiation.

    Example

    I adjusted the contrast on my monitor because the image looked too grey.

    Example

    The photographer increased the contrast during post-processing to make the architectural details stand out against the sky.
Show 3 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 medical imaging (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Medicine

    a substance used in medical scans to make parts of the body show up clearly.

    a substance, such as iodine or barium, swallowed or injected to increase the visibility of internal structures in medical imaging.

    Example

    The doctor injected a contrast dye before the CT scan to see my veins better.

    Example

    The radiologist noted that the patient had a mild allergic reaction to the contrast used during the previous angiogram.

    Usage

    Often used as an uncountable noun in clinical settings.
  2. 4 to compare differences (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

    to look at two things to show how they are different.

    to compare two or more things in order to emphasize their differences.

    Example

    In your essay, you should contrast the two main characters in the book.

    Example

    The study contrasts the educational outcomes of urban students with those of their rural counterparts over a ten-year period.

    Usage

    As a transitive verb, it takes a direct object; as an intransitive verb, it often pairs with 'with'.
    • liken
  3. 5 to be different (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to look or be very different from something else nearby.

    to exhibit a striking difference when placed in proximity to something else.

    Example

    Her bright red hair contrasted sharply with her white dress.

    Example

    The modern glass skyscraper contrasts uncomfortably with the surrounding eighteenth-century stone cottages.
Origin

From French contraster, from Italian contrastare (“to resist", "to withstand”), from Vulgar Latin *contrāstāre, from Latin contrā (“against”) + stō, stāre (“to stand”).

Word family

© 2026 English Reference