oppose

/ə'pouz/

Definition

Verb (transitive):
- To actively resist, fight against, or disagree with something: To stand against or attempt to prevent a proposal, action, or system.
- To set in competition or contrast against something else: To place someone or something in opposition, often for comparison or competition.
- To be in direct contrast or conflict with: To be positioned as an opposite or contrary force.

Usage

To resist or fight against a person, idea, or action:
- The senator said he would oppose the bill.
- Many citizens oppose the new construction project.
To set in competition or contrast:
- He plays his two children off against each other.
- In the debate, they opposed the idea of free trade against protectionism.
To be in conflict or contrast with:
- Her optimistic nature is directly opposed to his pessimism.

Advanced Usage

"To be opposed to": This common phrase expresses a state of disagreement or moral objection to something.
- She is strongly opposed to animal testing.
- I am not opposed to the idea, but I have some concerns.
"As opposed to": This phrase is used to contrast two different things or ideas.
- We use organic methods, as opposed to chemical pesticides.
- He prefers tea, as opposed to coffee.

Variants and Related Words

Opposition (n): The act or state of opposing; the group of people who oppose something.
- The proposal faced strong opposition from the community.
Opposing (adj): Acting against something; competing or conflicting.
- The two teams have opposing strategies.
- She holds the opposing view.
Opposite (adj, n, prep): Directly facing or contrary; a person or thing that is totally different.
- They live on opposite sides of the street. (adj)
- Hot is the opposite of cold. (n)

Synonyms

Phrasal Verbs / Related Constructions

Oppose oneself to: A formal construction meaning to set oneself against.
- He opposed himself to the prevailing opinion.
Play off against (related concept): To set (people or groups) in opposition to each other for one's own advantage.
- The manager was known to play his employees off against each other.

Idioms and Common Phrases

Oppose tooth and nail: To resist with every available means; to fight fiercely against.
- The residents opposed the highway construction tooth and nail.
Find oneself opposed: To discover that one is in disagreement or conflict.
- On this issue, I find myself opposed to my own party.

Verb

be resistant to
- The board opposed his motion
act against or in opposition to
- She reacts negatively to everything I say
set into opposition or rivalry
- let them match their best athletes against ours
- pit a chess player against the Russian champion
- He plays his two children off against each other
contrast with equal weight or force
fight against or resist strongly
- The senator said he would oppose the bill
- Don't fight it!
be against; express opposition to
- We oppose the ban on abortion

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