# contrast
## English
### Etymology

From French contraster, from Italian contrastare (“to resist", "to withstand”), from Vulgar Latin *contrāstāre, from Latin contrā (“against”) + stō, stāre (“to stand”).

### Pronunciation

* (noun)
    (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈkɒntɹɑːst/
* (Northern England, Scotland) IPA: /ˈkɒntɹast/
    (US) enPR: kŏn'trăst, IPA: /ˈkɑnt(ʃ)ɹæst/
       Audio (US):(file)
* (verb)
    (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /kənˈtɹɑːst/
       Audio (Southern England):(file)
* (Northern England, Scotland) IPA: /kənˈtɹast/
    (US) enPR: kəntrăst', kŏn'trăst, IPA: /kənˈt(ʃ)ɹæst/, /ˈkɑnt(ʃ)ɹæst/
* Rhymes: -ɑːst

### Noun

contrast (countable and uncountable, plural contrasts)
* (countable) A difference in lightness, brightness or hue between two colours that makes them more or less distinguishable.
** (uncountable) The degree of this difference.
    The red and the orange don't have much contrast between them — I can hardly tell them apart.
** (countable) A control on a television, etc, that adjusts the amount of contrast in the images being displayed.
*** 2009 May 4, Michael Chapman; Matthew Chapman, “Hremail #7”, in Homestar Runner‎, spoken by Strong Bad (Matthew Chapman):Ohh, you can't fool me. This thing's top of the line! It's got two contrast knobs!
* (countable) A difference between two objects, people or concepts.
    Israel is a country of many contrasts.
** 1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter I, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:The colonel and his sponsor made a queer contrast: Greystone [the sponsor] long and stringy, with a face that seemed as if a cold wind was eternally playing on it.
** 1851, Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chapter 11:... there is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast.
* (countable) Something that is opposite of or strikingly different from something else.
** 2001, David L. Lieber, Jules Harlow, Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary, page 746:Why this denunciation of idolatry at this point? And why are Shabbat and the sanctuary mentioned as contrasts to idol worship?
* (countable, uncountable, rhetoric) Antithesis.

#### Derived terms

* by contrast
* contrast agent
* contrastless
* contrast medium
* contrastment
* contrast radiography
* contrast ratio
* contrast set
* contrast therapy
* contrasty
* hysterosalpingo contrast sonography
* hysterosalpingo-contrast-sonography
* in contrast
* metacontrast
* multicontrast
* noncontrast
* paracontrast
* phase contrast microscope
* phase contrast microscopy
* postcontrast
* precontrast
* radiocontrast
* reverse contrast
* thorotrast

#### Translations
### Verb

contrast (third-person singular simple present contrasts, present participle contrasting, simple past and past participle contrasted)
* (transitive) To set in opposition in order to show the difference or differences between; to counterpoint.
* (intransitive) To form a contrast.
    Foreground and background strongly contrast.
** 1845, Charles Lyell, Lyell's Travels in North America:The joints which divide the sandstone contrast finely with the divisional planes which separate the basalt into pillars.

#### Antonyms

* (antonym(s) of “to show difference”): liken

#### Derived terms

* contrastable
* compare and contrast
* contrasting
* contrastive

#### Translations
### See also

* compare

## Catalan
### Etymology

Deverbal from contrastar. First attested in the 14th century.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central) [kunˈtɾast]
* IPA: (Balearic, Valencia) [konˈtɾast]

### Noun

contrast m (plural contrasts or contrastos)
* contrast

### References

* ↑ “contrast”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025

### Further reading

* “contrast” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
* “contrast” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
* “contrast” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

## Dutch
### Etymology

Borrowed from French contraste, from Middle French contraste, from Italian contrasto.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /kɔnˈtrɑst/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: con‧trast
* Rhymes: -ɑst

### Noun

contrast n (plural contrasten, diminutive contrastje n)
* a contrast
    Synonym: tegenstelling

#### Related terms

* contrasteren

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French contraste.

### Noun

contrast n (plural contraste)
* contrast