contrast
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.a clear and obvious difference between two people, things, or ideas.
n.the state of being strikingly different from something else in juxtaposition or association.
Simple“The contrast between the busy city and the quiet countryside is amazing.”
In context“The stark contrast between the candidate's optimistic rhetoric and the country's grim economic reality was not lost on the voters.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'between' or 'to'.
PitfallThere 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.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
n.the difference between the light and dark parts of a picture or screen.
n.the scale of difference between the darkest and lightest tones in an image or the degree of color differentiation.
Simple“I adjusted the contrast on my monitor because the image looked too grey.”
In context“The photographer increased the contrast during post-processing to make the architectural details stand out against the sky.”
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
n.a substance used in medical scans to make parts of the body show up clearly.
n.a substance, such as iodine or barium, swallowed or injected to increase the visibility of internal structures in medical imaging.
Simple“The doctor injected a contrast dye before the CT scan to see my veins better.”
In context“The radiologist noted that the patient had a mild allergic reaction to the contrast used during the previous angiogram.”
UsageOften used as an uncountable noun in clinical settings.
Synonymscontrast mediumdye - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to look at two things to show how they are different.
v.to compare two or more things in order to emphasize their differences.
Simple“In your essay, you should contrast the two main characters in the book.”
In context“The study contrasts the educational outcomes of urban students with those of their rural counterparts over a ten-year period.”
UsageAs a transitive verb, it takes a direct object; as an intransitive verb, it often pairs with 'with'.
SynonymsAntonymsliken - 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to look or be very different from something else nearby.
v.to exhibit a striking difference when placed in proximity to something else.
Simple“Her bright red hair contrasted sharply with her white dress.”
In context“The modern glass skyscraper contrasts uncomfortably with the surrounding eighteenth-century stone cottages.”
Usage contrast direct · direct contrast · marked contrast
From French contraster, from Italian contrastare (“to resist", "to withstand”), from Vulgar Latin *contrāstāre, from Latin contrā (“against”) + stō, stāre (“to stand”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.