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Contrary vs Antonym - What's the difference?

contrary | antonym |

As nouns the difference between contrary and antonym

is that contrary is the opposite while antonym is antonym (word which has the opposite meaning as another word).

As an adjective contrary

is opposite; in an opposite direction; in opposition; adverse.

As an adverb contrary

is contrarily.

As a verb contrary

is (obsolete) to oppose; to frustrate.

contrary

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Opposite; in an opposite direction; in opposition; adverse.
    • contrary winds
  • * Bible, Leviticus xxvi. 21
    • And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me
  • * Shakespeare
    • We have lost our labour; they are gone a contrary way.
  • Opposed; contradictory; inconsistent.
  • * Whewell
    • The doctrine of the earth's motion appeared to be contrary to the sacred Scripture.
  • Given to opposition; perverse; wayward.
    • a contrary''' disposition; a '''contrary child

    Derived terms

    * contrarian * contrarily * contrariwise * contrary to

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • Contrarily

    • Noun

    (contraries)
  • The opposite.
  • * Shakespeare
    • No contraries hold more antipathy / Than I and such a knave.
  • One of a pair of propositions that cannot both be simultaneously true.
  • * I. Watts
    • If two universals differ in quality, they are contraries ; as, every vine is a tree; no vine is a tree. These can never be both true together; but they may be both false.

    Synonyms

    * witherward

    Derived terms

    * on the contrary * to the contrary

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • (obsolete) To oppose; to frustrate.
  • *Bishop Latimer
  • *:I was advised not to contrary the king.
  • *, I.47:
  • *:The Athenians having left the enemie in their owne land, for to pass into Sicilie , had very ill successe, and were much contraried by fortune.
  • (obsolete) To impugn.
  • (obsolete) To contradict (someone or something).
  • *:
  • *:thus wilfully sir Palomydes dyd bataille with yow / & as for hym sir I was not gretely aferd but I dred fore la?celot that knew yow not / Madame said Palomydes ye maye saye what so ye wyll / I maye not contrary yow but by my knyghthode I knewe not sir Tristram
  • *, II.12:
  • *:I finde them everie one in his turne to have reason, although they contrary one another.
  • (obsolete) To do the opposite of (someone'' or ''something ).
  • (obsolete) To act inconsistently or perversely; to act in opposition to .
  • (obsolete) To argue; to debate; to uphold an opposite opinion.
  • (obsolete) To be self-contradictory; to become reversed.

    • Related terms

    * contra * counter

    References

    * * * *

    antonym

    English

    (wikipedia antonym)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (semantics) A word which has the opposite meaning of another, although not necessarily in all its senses.
    • "rich" is an antonym''' of "poor"; "full" is an '''antonym of "empty" .

    Antonyms

    * synonym

    Derived terms

    * autoantonym * antonymic * antonymous * antonymy * binary antonym * complementary antonym * gradable antonym * polar antonym * relational antonym

    See also

    * thesaurus *

    External links

    * (wikipedia) ----