against
Part of speech: prep
Morphological type: derivation
Etymology: Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₁én
Proto-Germanic *in
Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰengʰ-der.
Proto-Germanic *ganganąder.?
Proto-Germanic *gagin
Proto-Germanic *in gagin
Proto-West Germanic *in gagin
Old English onġēander.
Middle English ayenes
English against
Formed from Middle English ayenes, agenes, againes (“in opposition to”), a southern variant of agen, or directly from again, either way with adverbial genitive singular ending -es; the parasitic -t was added circa 1350, probably by confusion with the superlative ending -est. By surface analysis, again + -st (excrescent ending).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian juun (“against”), West Frisian tsjin (“against”), Dutch tegen (“against”), German Low German gegen (“against”), German gegen (“against”), Icelandic gegn (“against”).
Inflected forms:
form: againest
pos: prep
tags: alternative
form: agaynest
pos: prep
tags: alternative
form: agaynst
pos: prep
tags: alternative
form: ageinest
pos: prep
tags: alternative
form: ageinst
pos: prep
tags: alternative
form: agenest
pos: prep
tags: alternative
form: agenst
pos: prep
tags: alternative
form: ageynest
pos: prep
tags: alternative
form: ageynst
pos: prep
tags: alternative
form: agin
pos: prep
tags: alternative
form: 'gainst
pos: prep
tags: alternative
form: gainst
pos: prep
tags: alternative
Senses:
gloss: In a contrary direction to.
pos: prep
examples: It is hard work to swim against the current.
gloss: In physical opposition to; in collision with.
pos: prep
examples: The rain pounds against the window.
Ivor had acquired more than a mile of fishing rights with the house ; he was not at all a good fisherman, but one must do something ; one generally, however, banged a ball with a squash-racket against a wall.
gloss: In physical contact with, so as to abut or be supported by.
pos: prep
examples: The ladder was leaning against the wall.
The puppy rested its head against a paw.
The kennel was put against the back wall.
gloss: Close to, alongside.
pos: prep
examples: A row of trees stood against a fence.
We expressed our readiness, and in ten minutes were in the station wagon, rolling rapidly down the long drive, for it was then after nine.[…]As we reached the lodge we heard the whistle, and we backed up against one side of the platform as the train pulled up at the other.
gloss: In front of; before (a background).
pos: prep
examples: The giant was silhouetted against the door.
gloss: In contrast or comparison with.
pos: prep
examples: There is an awesome authenticity in Barrus's voice which, I imagine, is frightening to those who must evaluate art against a one-dimensional standard of political rectitude.
He stands out against his classmates.
This report sets out the risks against the benefits.
gloss: In competition with, versus.
pos: prep
examples: The Tigers will play against the Bears this weekend.
“[…] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons ! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”
The breakthrough came through Torres who, pilloried for his miss against Manchester United a week earlier, scored his second goal of the season.
gloss: Contrary to; in conflict with.
pos: prep
examples: Doing this is against my principles.
It is against the law to smoke on these premises.
There was no car in sight so we crossed against the red light.
gloss: In opposition to.
pos: prep
examples: Are you against freedom of choice?
He waged a ten-year campaign against the company that was polluting the river.
I'd bet against his succeeding.
(with implied object) Ten voted for, and three voted against.
Mr. Cooke at once began a tirade against the residents of Asquith for permitting a sandy and generally disgraceful condition of the roads. So roundly did he vituperate the inn management in particular, and with such a loud flow of words, that I trembled lest he should be heard on the veranda.
Plant breeding is always a numbers game.[…]The wild species we use are rich in genetic variation,[…]. In addition, we are looking for rare alleles, so the more plants we try, the better. These rarities may be new mutations, or they can be existing ones that are neutral—or are even selected against—in a wild population. A good example is mutations that disrupt seed dispersal, leaving the seeds on the heads long after they are ripe.
gloss: Of betting odds, denoting a worse-than-even chance.
pos: prep
examples: That horse is fifty-to-one against, so it has virtually no chance of winning.
gloss: In exchange for.
pos: prep
examples: The vouchers are redeemable against West End shows and theatre breaks.
gloss: As counterbalance to.
pos: prep
gloss: As a charge on.
pos: prep
examples: Tax is levied against income from sales.
gloss: As protection from.
pos: prep
examples: He turned the umbrella against the wind.
Beautie alone is a ſoveraigne remedy againſt feare,griefe,and all melancholy fits; a charm,as Peter de la Seine and many other writers affirme,a banquet it ſelfe;he gives inſtance in diſcontented Menelaus that was ſo often freed by Helenas faire face: and ʰTully, 3 Tusc. cites Epicurus as a chiefe patron of this Tenent.
Monoclonal antibodies were raised against these proteins: IN-1 and IN-2 bound both to the 35 kd and 250 kd inhibitors and to the surface of differentiated cultured oligodendrocytes.
gloss: In anticipation of; in preparation for (a particular time, event etc.).
pos: prep
examples: The stores are kept well stocked against a time of need.
He wrote to a friend of his, that he lived but with browne bread and water, and entreated him to send him a piece of cheese, against [translating pour] the time he was to make a solemne feast.
"And now leave me, I pray thee, and thou too, my own Kallikrates, for I would get me ready against our journey, and so must ye both, and your servant also."
A quarter of a mile inland we came upon the holluschickie -- sleek young bulls, living out the loneliness of their bachelorhood and gathering strength against the day when they would fight their way into the ranks of the benedicts
Of the two fried chops served him for breakfast he ate one and gave Edmund the other, and put a buttered sandwich of bread in his pocket against the accidents of travel.
Rod, who always distrusted such methods, was forced to accept the new way but had begun to stash away large amounts of cash against the day that the system might be sabotaged or failed entirely.
gloss: To be paid now in contrast to the following amount to be paid later under specified circumstances, usually that a movie is made or has started filming.
pos: prep
examples: The studio weren't sure the movie would ever get made, so they only paid $50,000 against $200,000. That way they wouldn't be out very much if filming never began.
“Hollywood noises” yielded an early $35,000 option against $100,000 if the movie was made.
gloss: Exposed to.
pos: prep
tags: obsolete
Antonyms: with
Derived words: act against
against all odds
againster
againstism
against nature
againstness
against one's better judgment
against someone's will
against the clock
against the collar
against the grain
against the hair
against the law
against the run of play
against the world
against time
a house divided against itself cannot stand
as against
as much sinning as sinned against
back against the wall
bang one's head against a brick wall
bear against
beat one's head against a stone wall
brief against
bring up against
chalk against
come up against
count against
crime against humanity
crime against nature
criminal against humanity
dead against
dead set against
death against
declare against
discriminated-against
give against
go against
go against the grain
go up against
guard against
have against
hereagainst
hit up against
hold against
hope against hope
kick against
kick against the pricks
lift one's hand against
make against
make head against
over against
pit against
play against type
play both ends against the middle
play both sides against the middle
play one against another
push against an open door
push up against
race against the clock
race against time
rub up against
rule against perpetuities
run against
run up against
sell against the box
set against
set one's face against
side against
stand up against
stumble against
take against
talk against time
tell against
thereagainst
turn against
up against
up against it
up against the wall
weigh against
whereagainst
work both ends against the middle
work both sides against the middle
Translations: