against
Americanpreposition
-
in opposition to; contrary to; adverse or hostile to: against reason.
twenty votes against ten;
against reason.
-
in resistance to or defense from.
protection against burglars.
-
in an opposite direction to.
to ride against the wind.
-
into contact or collision with; toward; upon.
The rain beat against the window.
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in contact with.
to lean against the wall.
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in preparation for; in provision for.
money saved against a rainy day.
-
having as background.
a design of flowers against a dark wall.
-
in exchange for; as a balance to or debit or charge on.
He asked for an advance against his salary.
-
in competition with.
a racehorse running against his own record time.
-
in comparison or contrast with.
a matter of reason as against emotion.
-
The car is against the building.
conjunction
idioms
preposition
-
opposed to; in conflict or disagreement with
they fought against the legislation
-
standing or leaning beside or in front of
a ladder against the wall
-
coming in contact with
the branches of a tree brushed against the bus
-
in contrast to
silhouettes are outlines against a light background
-
having an adverse or unfavourable effect on
the economic system works against small independent companies
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as a protection from or means of defence from the adverse effects of
a safeguard against contaminated water
-
in exchange for or in return for
-
rare in preparation for
he gave them warm clothing against their journey through the night
-
as opposed to or as compared with
he had two shots at him this time as against only one last time
Etymology
Origin of against
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English agens, ageynes, equivalent to ageyn again + -es -s 1; for -t cf. whilst, amongst
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Traders continued to ramp up bearish bets against the Japanese yen, with speculative short exposure reaching fresh extremes,” the market analyst says, citing the latest Commitments of Traders positioning data from the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026
Toronto Tempo forward Isabelle Harrison was tossed from Sunday’s game after committing a hard foul against the Atlanta Dream’s Angel Reese.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026
He believes countries that make it easier for men and women to share work and care are far better protected against deep fertility decline.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
That leaves the market without much of a buffer against another outbreak of volatility should Warsh happen to say something unexpected on Wednesday, according to Brent Kochuba, founder of SpotGamma.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 15, 2026
“Most people just see physics as numbers and letters on paper. But I see how those formulas show limits, boundaries. Of movement, gravity. Knowing means working with it, instead of against it.”
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
