Contrast Million Interesting Differences Noun ˈkɒntrɑːst ˈkɑːntræst Cities

• the two cities make an interesting contrast.
• there is an obvious contrast between the cultures of east and west.
• in contrast, the south suffered very little hurricane damage.
• the situation when we arrived was in marked contrast to the news reports.

contrast

1. a difference between two or more people or things that you can see clearly when they are compared or put close together; the fact of comparing two or more things in order to show the differences between them
• LANGUAGE BANK AT generally
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/generally#generally_topg_1
• The two cities make an interesting contrast.
• There is an obvious contrast between the cultures of East and West.
• In contrast, the south suffered very little hurricane damage.
• The situation when we arrived was in marked contrast to the news reports.
• The poverty of her childhood stands in total contrast to her life in Hollywood.
• The company lost $7 million this quarter in contrast to a profit of $6.2 million a year earlier.
• to show a sharp/stark/striking contrast with something
• A wool jacket complements the silk trousers and provides an interesting contrast in texture.
• When you look at their new system, ours seems very old-fashioned by contrast.
• Careful contrast of the two plans shows some important differences.

Extra Examples

• The company lost $13 million this year, in contrast with a profit of $15 million last year.
• The contrast between the sisters was very strong.
• The contrast in appearance between the sisters was striking.
• The flowers provide a contrast with the dark background.
• The fresh fruit provides a contrast to the rich chocolate pudding.
• The writer emphasizes the contrast between conventional and alternative medicine.
• When you look at their new system, ours seems very old-fashioned by contrast.
• Their attitudes to marriage stand in stark contrast to those of their parents.
• There is a stark contrast between the lives of the rich and those of the poor.
• There is a striking contrast between the two painters' work.
2. a person or thing that is clearly different from somebody/something else
• The work you did today is quite a contrast to (= very much better/worse than) what you did last week.

Extra Examples

• This busy social life was a complete contrast to his old quiet life.
• Her hair was black, a stunning contrast to her pale complexion.
3. differences in colour or in light and dark, used in photographs and paintings to create a special effect
• The artist's use of contrast is masterly.
4. the amount of difference between light and dark in a photograph or the picture on a television screen
• Use this button to adjust the contrast.

Word Origin

• late 17th cent. (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’.