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   contrast

   noun

   • 1. the state of being strikingly different from something else in juxtaposition or close association: "the day began cold and blustery, in contrast to almost two weeks of uninterrupted sunshine" Similar differencedissimilaritydisparitydissimilitudedistinctioncontradistinctiondivergencevariancevariationdifferentiationcontradictionincongruityoppositionpolarityrare:unlikenessOpposite similarityresemblance
   • ▪ differences in colour, tone, or shape that contribute to the visual effect of a design or image: "match the trimming with one of the stronger colours in the pattern to provide contrast"
   • ▪ the difference between tones in a television picture, photograph, etc.: "careful adjustment of the contrast to suit the prevailing light is critical"
   • ▪ a thing or person having qualities noticeably different from another: "the castle is quite a contrast to other places where the singer has performed" Similar oppositeantithesisfoilcomplement

   verb

   • 1. differ strikingly: "his friend's success contrasted with his own failure" Similar differ frombe at variance withbe contrary toconflict withgo againstbe at odds withbe in opposition todisagree withclash withset offcomplementclash withinformal:scream atOpposite resembleechomatch
   • ▪ compare in such a way as to emphasize differences: "people contrasted her with her sister" Similar compareset side by sidejuxtaposemeasure againstdistinguish fromdifferentiate fromdraw a distinction betweenOpposite liken

   Word Origin late 17th century (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’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. contrastive adjective

   Scrabble Points: 10

   • C

     3

   • O

     1

   • N

     1

   • T

     1

   • R

     1

   • A

     1

   • S

     1

   • T

     1

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