WordGarden.iooppositely
C2Pronunciation
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Meanings
Adverb
in opposite directions, positions, or orientation
in a contrary or contrasting way
Beyond the definition
Imagine two people starting at the same place and walking away from each other. They are moving oppositely. That gives you a good feel for the word. It means in an opposite or reverse way, often compared with something else.
It often shows up when two things go in different directions or happen in clearly different ways. For example, if one person is hopeful, another might react oppositely and expect the worst. If one car turns left and another turns right, they move oppositely. It is often about direction, but it can also describe actions, reactions, or opinions.
"Oppositely" is an adverb that means in an opposite, contrary, or reverse way. It is used when one thing happens in a way that contrasts strongly with another thing. While "opposite" usually names a position, side, or quality, "oppositely" describes the manner in which something is done or happens.
Think of it like this: if two people respond to the same news in completely different ways, they may react oppositely. If one person saves money carefully while another spends freely, their habits work in opposite ways. The word is especially natural when talking about movement, direction, position, or paired reactions.
The context matters. It often emphasizes contrast. For example: "While the crowd cheered wildly, he reacted oppositely and stayed quiet." Or, "The two groups looked at the problem oppositely and suggested very different answers." You may also see it in technical or scientific writing when describing things that face, move, or act in opposite directions.
It is a fairly uncommon and somewhat formal word. In everyday English, people often say "in the opposite way" or "differently" instead. Still, oppositely is useful when you want to clearly show that two things do not just differ, but go against each other in direction, action, or response. So if one thing goes one way and another goes the reverse way, they are happening oppositely.
Examples
- 1
Forces diagram
The two arrows point oppositely, showing the forces working against each other.
- Usage
In everyday speech, people often say "in opposite directions."
- 2
Electricity
The particles were oppositely charged, so they attracted each other.
- Phraseoppositely charged
having opposite electrical charges
- 3
Reactions
The two teams reacted oppositely to the decision: one side celebrated, and the other side complained.
See also
Similar
- contrarily
- in the opposite way
Shades of meaning
- conversely
- inversely
- in reverse
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- oppositely directed
- oppositely charged
- oppositely oriented
Word family
Explore
- opposite direction
- reversal
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- oppositelyadverb