Opponent
A person who competes against or opposes someone; an adversary.
nounOpponent
A person who competes against or opposes someone; an adversary.
nounImagine This
Imagine two athletes facing each other on a boxing ring. Each fighter studies the other, waits for the right moment to strike, and tries to outmaneuver their opponent to win the match.
Sounds Like
uh-POH-nษnt
Looks Like
Looks like 'opposite' with an extra 'n'; shares the same root idea of facing against.
Remember This
Opponents are common in sports, debates, and any contest. The word comes from Latin opponere, meaning to place against.
Other Forms
Connect With
adversary, rival, challenger, antagonist, foe, competitor
Note
Do not confuse with 'opposite' (the other side). 'Opponent' refers to a person or entity actively facing you in competition or conflict.
Study Deeper
- The opponent in the chess match sacrificed a knight to gain a positional advantage.
- During the debate, her opponent raised a counterexample to challenge the proposal.
From Latin opponere 'to place against' (ob- 'against' + ponere 'to place'), via Old French into English.
Oppose + -ent: an opponent is the person who opposes you; remember by thinking 'oppose' plus the suffix '-ent' equals opponent.
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verbTo remove or cleanse a text of offensive or improper passages, especially by editing or censoring.
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adjectiveLacking in imagination or creativity; dull and ordinary in style, especially in writing that resembles prose rather than poetry.
Zealot
nounA person who is fanatically devoted to a religious, political, or other cause; a fanatic.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Adversary
nounAn opponent; a foe; an enemy.
Abasement
nounThe act or instance of humiliating or degrading someone; the state of being lowered in dignity or status.
Absurdity
nounThe quality or state of being wildly unreasonable, illogical, or ridiculous; something that is completely contrary to reason or common sense.
Accent
nounA distinctive way of pronouncing words; the act of emphasizing a syllable or word (as a verb, to accent means to emphasize).
Accolade
nounAn honor; a public expression of praise or an award.
Acrimony
nounBitterness of speech or manner; ill feeling