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View synonyms for opposed

opposed

[ uh-pohzd ]

adjective

  1. hostile or resistant (usually followed by to ):

    At a town hall meeting about the proposed desalination plant, most speakers were opposed, citing high costs and the effect on marine life.

    Some educators are opposed to bringing new media tools into classes, viewing them as a potential distraction for students.

  2. having contrary effects; operating at cross-purposes:

    How do we interpret these seemingly opposed trends—away from organized religion and toward the formation of strong spiritual beliefs?

  3. set against or contrasted with something else or with each other; viewed as contrary or competing:

    The opposed images on the book’s title page represent the two very different understandings of “home” featured in the narrative.

  4. situated, existing, or growing in opposite directions:

    There are two diametrically opposed arrows on the signpost, and we have no idea which one to follow.



verb

  1. the simple past tense and past participle of oppose ( def ).

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Other Words From

  • pre·op·posed adjective
  • qua·si-op·posed adjective
  • un·op·posed adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of opposed1

First recorded in 1450–1500; oppose ( def ) + -ed 2( def )

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. as opposed to, in contrast to; rather than:

    The new boss is intuitive as opposed to analytical, and conflict-shy as opposed to aggressive.

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Example Sentences

At the council’s breakfast last week, he said he had told the mayor’s office that the council opposed the reviewing stand because he thought it couldn’t be safely done during the pandemic.

Some Republicans have opposed similar legislation in the past because they said states are better equipped to identify students’ and schools’ needs.

To allegedly shake things up, I allowed her to watch YouTube videos on the subject as opposed to reading an article.

McDonald’s believes elected leaders have a responsibility to set, debate and change mandated minimum wages and does not lobby against or participate in any activities opposing raising the minimum wage.

In 2019, when he last faced opposing batters, Clay led all of minor league baseball in groundball rate.

Thirty-six percent were in favor and 38 percent were opposed.

Only two senators opposed the resolution, which the administration later claimed was the authority for a full-scale war.

The group puts out most of its statements—on its Twitter feed, or its numerous websites—in Arabic, as opposed to Baluchi or Farsi.

The NRA opposed a new California law that will help prevent gun deaths, homicides and suicides both.

Try 21 times more likely—31 per million as opposed to 1.5 per million for whites.

On the contrary, the full meaning of the act is manifestly opposed to such an idea.

My mother opposed her vow to his; not to suffer her child to leave her, till the time of her being professed.

It was strenuously opposed by all possible means, governmental, legislative, and literary.

Massna wished at all hazards to continue the fight on the morrow, but his principal officers were strongly opposed to it.

At any rate, whatsoever that curious reservation meant, the majority of the staff were opposed to surrender.

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tortuous

[tawr-choo-uhs ]

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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