Contrast Contrasted Compare Actions Verb Bre Kənˈtrɑːst Kənˈtræst

• it is interesting to contrast the british legal system with the american one.
• the poem contrasts youth and age.
• compare and contrast the two novels.
• her actions contrasted sharply with her promises.

contrast

1. to compare two things in order to show the differences between them
• It is interesting to contrast the British legal system with the American one.
• The poem contrasts youth and age.
• Compare and contrast the two novels.
2. to show a clear difference when close together or when compared
• Her actions contrasted sharply with her promises.
• Her actions and her promises contrasted sharply.

Extra Examples

• Compare and contrast the two main characters in the play.
• He contrasted her brashness unfavourably with his mother’s gentleness.
• His cream shirt contrasted beautifully with his tan skin.
• The open approach contrasts favourably with the exclusivity of some universities.
• This statement contrasts starkly with his previous statements.

Verb Forms

• present simple I / you / we / they contrast
• he / she / it contrasts
• past simple contrasted
• past participle contrasted
• -ing form contrasting

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’.