Synonyms for contrast
Most common
All synonyms
Noun
1. Distinction
Other
difference, dissimilarity, antithesis, differentiate, opposition, foil, contrariety rare, contrastiveness rare, dissimilitude rare, unlikeness rare
Definitions
- n. 1
A difference in lightness, brightness or hue between two colours that makes them more or less distinguishable. The degree of this difference.
The red and the orange don't have much contrast between them — I can hardly tell them apart.
Related words
- Word family
- contrasting contrastive
- Phrases
- by contrast contrast agent contrast medium in contrast
Forms
- Plural
- contrasts → distinctions, lines, demarcations, differences…
Choose the right word
con, together, and par, equal) is to place together in order to show likeness or unlikeness; to contrast (L. We contrast objects that have been already compared.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- distinction He makes no distinction between right and wrong.
- demarcation My strife for learning archaic words has no demarcation.
- difference It won't make any difference whichever you choose.
- differentiate We differentiate between living and dead objects.
- antithesis A moral monopoly is the antithesis of a marketplace of ideas.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| contrast | rising | |
| distinction | steady | |
| demarcation | steady | |
| difference | steady | |
| differentiate | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- line1, foil1
- 10 letters
- difference3, opposition4, antithesis4, unlikeness
- 11 letters
- distinction3, demarcation4, contrariety
- 13 letters
- differentiate5, dissimilarity6, dissimilitude
- 15 letters
- contrastiveness
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (difference3 = 3 syllables).