Meanings
verboppose (third-person singular simple present opposes, present participle opposing, simple past and past participle opposed)
present singular third person opposes · participle present opposing · participle past opposed · past opposed · first person past singular opposed · archaic present second person singular opposest · past second person singular opposed · archaic past second person singular opposedst · present singular third person opposes · archaic present singular third person opposeth · past singular third person opposed · past plural opposed · past subjunctive opposed · participle present opposing · participle past opposed
- To attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.; to contend against.
to oppose the king in battle
3 more examples
to oppose a bill in Congress
There is still time to oppose this plan.
I am […] too weak / To oppose your cunning.
1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv]Synonyms: confront, withstand, resist, hinder, obstruct, buck, react
- To present or set up in opposition; to pose.
They are opposed to any form of hierarchy.
2 more examples
, Book I I may […] oppose my single opinion to his.
[T]hree walls had been left standing, with large intervals between each; and they would certainly oppose a most formidable interruption to an invader.
1839, Philip Meadows Taylor, Confessions of a Thug - To place in front of, or over against; to set opposite; to exhibit.
Her grace sat down […] / In a rich chair of state; opposing freely / The beauty of her person to the people.
1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.; to contend against.
verbTo object to.
Similar
be againstfightcheckbarblockpreventtake oncounterfacecombatdefythwartcontradictstand up tostruggle againstfly in the face ofbe hostile tocounterattackspeak out againstbe in opposition tobe in defiance ofstrive againstset one's face againsttake a standmake a stand againstdispute
Opposite
More synonyms by meaning
verbfight against or resist strongly
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinopponere“to oppose”
- Medieval Latinpono“to put”
- Latinob“before, against”
- Old Frenchopposer
- Middle Englishopposen
- Englishoppose
From Middle English opposen, from Old French opposer, from Latin ob (“before, against”) + Medieval Latin pono (“to put”), taking the place of Latin opponere (“to oppose”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἀνθίστημι
- ἀνθίστημι (anthístēmi)to attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
Arabic عَارَض, اِعْتَرَضَ
- عَارَض (ʕāraḍ)to attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- اِعْتَرَضَ (iʕtaraḍa)to object to
Bulgarian противопоставям се, възразявам
- противопоставям се (protivopostavjam se)to attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- възразявам (văzrazjavam)to object to
- противопоставям (protivopostavjam)to place in front of, or over against; to set opposite; to exhibit
Catalan oposar, oposar
- oposarto attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- oposarto object to
Chinese Mandarin 阻止, 對抗 /对抗
- 阻止 (zúzhǐ)to attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- 對抗 /对抗 (duìkàng)to attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- 反对 (fǎnduì)to object to
Czech oponovat
- oponovatto attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
Dutch tegenhouden, tegengaan
- tegenhoudento attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- tegengaanto attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- tegenoverstellento present or set up in opposition; to pose
Esperanto kontraŭi, kontraŭstari
- kontraŭito attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- kontraŭstarito attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
Finnish vastustaa, vastustaa
- vastustaato attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- vastustaato object to
French s'opposer à
- s'opposer àto attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
German ablehnen, widersprechen
- ablehnento attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- widersprechento object to
Hungarian szembehelyezkedik, ellenez
- szembehelyezkedikto attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- ellenezto object to
Italian opporre, obiettare
- opporreto attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- obiettareto object to
- essere contrarito present or set up in opposition; to pose
- esibireto place in front of, or over against; to set opposite; to exhibit
Japanese 阻む, 阻止する
- 阻む (habamu)to attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- 阻止する (soshi suru)to attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- 対抗する (taikou suru)to attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- 反対する (hantai suru)to object to
Latin intercēdō, adversor
- intercēdōto attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- adversorto attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- refrāgorto attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- oppōnōto attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- contrādīcōto object to
- oppōnōto present or set up in opposition; to pose
Lithuanian priešintis, pasipriešinti
- priešintisto attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- pasipriešintito attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- prieštarautito object to
Māori mautohe, mautohe
- mautoheto attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- mautoheto object to
- tāwarito object to
Polish oponować, zaoponować
- oponowaćto attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- zaoponowaćto attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- przeciwstawiaćto attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- przeciwstawićto attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- oponowaćto object to
- zaoponowaćto object to
- sprzeciwiaćto object to
- sprzeciwićto object to
Portuguese opor, opor
- oporto attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- oporto object to
Romanian opune, contrazice
- opuneto attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- contraziceto object to
- opuneto object to
Russian препя́тствовать, воспрепя́тствовать
- препя́тствовать (prepjátstvovatʹ)to attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- воспрепя́тствовать (vosprepjátstvovatʹ)to attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- противостоять (protivostojatʹ)to attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- возража́ть (vozražátʹ)to object to
- возрази́ть (vozrazítʹ)to object to
- отрица́ть (otricátʹ)to object to
- быть противto object to
- противопоставить (protivopostavitʹ)to present or set up in opposition; to pose
- противопоставить (protivopostavitʹ)to place in front of, or over against; to set opposite; to exhibit
Slovak oponovať
- oponovaťto attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
Spanish oponer, salir al encuentro
- oponerto attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- salir al encuentroto attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- asalir (disused)to attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- oponerto object to
Tamil எதிர், எதிர்
- எதிர் (etir)to attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- எதிர் (etir)to object to
- எதிர் (etir)to present or set up in opposition; to pose
Ukrainian проти́витися, протистоя́ти
- проти́витися (protývytysja)to attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- протистоя́ти (protystojáty)to attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- запере́чувати (zaperéčuvaty)to object to
- запере́чити (zaperéčyty)to object to
Vietnamese chống đối, phản đối
- chống đốito attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.
- phản đốito object to
Welsh gwrthwynebu
- gwrthwynebuto object to
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with oppose
closegoesosrosefollowsclothesknowsJosedosnosechosehoseproposediscloseposeimposefellowsexposeprosebosecomposedisposeencloseslows
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
oppose. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oppose
MLA
“oppose.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oppose. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “oppose,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oppose.
Source: oppose on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.