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View synonyms for against

against

[ uh-genst, uh-geynst ]

preposition

  1. in opposition to; contrary to; adverse or hostile to: against reason.

    twenty votes against ten;

    against reason.

  2. in resistance to or defense from:

    protection against burglars.

  3. in an opposite direction to:

    to ride against the wind.

  4. into contact or collision with; toward; upon:

    The rain beat against the window.

  5. in contact with:

    to lean against the wall.

  6. in preparation for; in provision for:

    money saved against a rainy day.

  7. having as background:

    a design of flowers against a dark wall.

  8. in exchange for; as a balance to or debit or charge on:

    He asked for an advance against his salary.

  9. in competition with:

    a racehorse running against his own record time.

  10. in comparison or contrast with:

    a matter of reason as against emotion.

  11. The car is against the building.



conjunction

  1. Archaic. before; by the time that.

against

/ əˈɡɛnst; əˈɡeɪnst /

preposition

  1. opposed to; in conflict or disagreement with

    they fought against the legislation

  2. standing or leaning beside or in front of

    a ladder against the wall

  3. coming in contact with

    the branches of a tree brushed against the bus

  4. in contrast to

    silhouettes are outlines against a light background

  5. having an adverse or unfavourable effect on

    the economic system works against small independent companies

  6. as a protection from or means of defence from the adverse effects of

    a safeguard against contaminated water

  7. in exchange for or in return for
  8. rare.
    in preparation for

    he gave them warm clothing against their journey through the night

  9. as against
    as opposed to or as compared with

    he had two shots at him this time as against only one last time

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of against1

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English agens, ageynes, equivalent to ageyn again + -es -s 1; for -t whilst, amongst
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Word History and Origins

Origin of against1

C12: ageines, from again, ageyn, etc, again + -es genitive ending; the spelling with -t (C16) was probably due to confusion with superlatives ending in -st
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. over against,
    1. positioned across from or opposite; facing:

      The debate teams were seated over against each other.

    2. in contrast with:

      rich people over against poor people.

More idioms and phrases containing against

  • beat one's head against the wall
  • cards are stacked against
  • come up against
  • count against
  • dead set against
  • guard against
  • have something against
  • hold something against
  • lift a hand against
  • over against
  • pit someone against
  • run against
  • set against
  • swim against
  • turn against
  • two strikes against
  • up against
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Example Sentences

The researchers found that adult chimpanzees were more likely to engage in social play before participating in group activities, such as monkey hunting or territorial defense against hostile outsiders.

Hamas welcomed the issuance of the warrants against the Israeli officials, without mentioning the one against Deif.

But immense civilian suffering has prompted intense international criticism of Israel, pitting the Biden administration against European countries with whom it partners closely in other respects, including assisting Ukraine as it tries, with increasing difficulty, to fend off Russia’s invasion.

The decision by a panel of judges cited what it said were reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant’s acts encompassed a “widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza.”

Companies such as Fox Television Stations, Nexstar Media Group, Tegna and Gray Media are eager to buy more TV stations to better compete against deep-pocketed tech firms that are aggressively pursuing viewers and ad dollars.

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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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again and againagainst all odds