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From French contraster, from Italian contrastare (to resist", "to withstand), from Vulgar Latin, from Latin contra (against) + stare (to stand)


  • (verb)
    (UK) IPA(key): /kənˈtrɑːst/
    (US) enPR: kəntrăst', kŏn'trăst, IPA(key): /kənˈt(ʃ)ɹæst/, /ˈkɑnt(ʃ)ɹæst/
  • Rhymes: -ɑːst


contrast (countable and uncountable, plural contrasts)

  1. (countable) A difference in lightness, brightness and/or hue between two colours that makes them more or less distinguishable.
    1. (uncountable) The degree of this difference.
      The red and the orange don't have much contrast between them — I can hardly tell them apart.
    2. (countable) A control on a television, etc, that adjusts the amount of contrast in the images being displayed.
  2. (countable) A difference between two objects, people or concepts.
    Israel is a country of many contrasts.
  3. (countable, uncountable, rhetoric) Antithesis.



contrast (third-person singular simple present contrasts, present participle contrasting, simple past and past participle contrasted)

  1. (transitive) To set in opposition in order to show the difference or differences between.
  2. (intransitive) To form a contrast.
    Foreground and background strongly contrast.
    • Lyell

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