the exact opposite contrast or opposition the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas, phrases, or words so as to produce an effect of balance, such as my words fly up, my thoughts remain below
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
an•tith•e•sis /ænˈtɪθəsɪs/USA pronunciation
n., pl. -ses
an•ti•thet•i•cal•ly, adv. See -thes-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- /-ˌsiz/.USA pronunciation
- [uncountable] opposition; contrast: the antithesis of right and wrong.
- [countable* often: the + ~ + of] the direct opposite: Her strength was the very antithesis of cowardice.
an•ti•thet•i•cal•ly, adv. See -thes-.
an•tith•e•sis
(an tith′ə sis),USA pronunciation n., pl. -ses
-
(-sēz′).USA pronunciation
- opposition;
contrast:the antithesis of right and wrong. - the direct opposite (usually fol. by of or to):Her behavior was the very antithesis of cowardly.
- Rhetoric
- the placing of a sentence or one of its parts against another to which it is opposed to form a balanced contrast of ideas, as in "Give me liberty or give me death.''
- the second sentence or part thus set in opposition, as "or give me death.''
- PhilosophySee under Hegelian dialectic.
- Greek: opposition, equivalent. to anti(ti)thé(nai) to oppose + -sis -sis. See anti-, thesis
- Latin
- 1520–30
- 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged opposite, reverse.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'antithesis' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):