contrast

6 definitions • 13 examples

an obvious difference between two or more things:

contrast of something with something I like the contrast of the white trousers with the black jacket.

contrast to The antique furnishing provides an unusual contrast to the modernity of the building.

marked contrast between There's a marked contrast between his character and hers.

by/in contrast Their economy has expanded, while ours, by/in contrast, has declined.

in stark/sharp contrast to The amount spent on defence is in stark/sharp (= in very noticeable) contrast to that spent on housing and health.

I love his use of contrast (= strong differences between light and darkness) in his later photographs.

to compare two people or things in order to show the differences between them:

contrast something with something If you contrast some of her early writing with her later work, you can see just how much she improved.

If one thing contrasts with another, it is very different from it:

The styles of the two film makers contrast quite dramatically.

contrast with The tartness of the lemons contrasts with the sweetness of the honey.

an easily noticed or understood difference between two or more things:

[ U ] She is quite petite, in contrast with her tall sister.

[ C ] Contrasts between Manhattan’s rich and poor astonished him.

In art and photographs, contrast is the difference between dark and light colors or dark and light areas.

to compare someone or something with another or others, or to show the differences between two or more things:

[ T ] She contrasted Hamilton’s Federalist ideas with the Anti-Federalist views of Thomas Jefferson.

[ I ] His aggressive style contrasts sharply with that of his low-key predecessor.