Synonyms for opponent
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Adversary
adversary, foe, enemy, opposer, antagonist, competitor, challenger, rival, anti, resistor
2. Opposition
Other
opp slang
Definitions
- n. 1
One who opposes another; one who works or takes a position against someone or something; one who attempts to stop the progress of someone or something.
During the crackdown, many opponents of the regime were arrested.
- n. 2
One who opposes another; one who works or takes a position against someone or something; one who attempts to stop the progress of someone or something. One who opposes another physically (in a fight, sport, game, or competition).
Related words
- Word family
- opp
Forms
- Plural
- opponents → adversaries, foes, enemies, opposers…
Example sentences
- enemy He betrayed us by telling the enemy where we were.
- foe Lend your friend money. Borrow money from your foe.
- adversary Fear is an adversary that one must face to move forward.
- opposition The plan met with opposition from the inhabitants.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| opponent | rising | |
| enemy | steady | |
| foe | steady | |
| adversary | steady | |
| opposer | falling | |
| opposition | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- foe1, opp1
- 4 letters
- anti2
- 5 letters
- enemy3, rival2
- 7 letters
- hostile2, opposer
- 8 letters
- opposite3, resistor3
- 9 letters
- adversary4
- 10 letters
- opposition4, competitor4, challenger3, antagonist4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (anti2 = 2 syllables).