opposite

opposite
    adv 1: directly facing each other; "the two photographs lay
           face-to-face on the table"; "lived all their lives in
           houses face-to-face across the street"; "they sat
           opposite at the table" [syn: {face-to-face}, {opposite}]
    adj 1: being directly across from each other; facing; "And I on
           the opposite shore will be, ready to ride and spread the
           alarm"- Longfellow; "we lived on opposite sides of the
           street"; "at opposite poles"
    2: of leaves etc; growing in pairs on either side of a stem;
       "opposite leaves" [syn: {opposite}, {paired}] [ant:
       {alternate}]
    3: moving or facing away from each other; "looking in opposite
       directions"; "they went in opposite directions"
    4: the other one of a complementary pair; "the opposite sex";
       "the two chess kings are set up on squares of opposite
       colors"
    5: altogether different in nature or quality or significance;
       "the medicine's effect was opposite to that intended"; "it is
       said that opposite characters make a union happiest"- Charles
       Reade
    6: characterized by opposite extremes; completely opposed; "in
       diametric contradiction to his claims"; "diametrical (or
       opposite) points of view"; "opposite meanings"; "extreme and
       indefensible polar positions" [syn: {diametric},
       {diametrical}, {opposite}, {polar}]
    n 1: a word that expresses a meaning opposed to the meaning of
         another word, in which case the two words are antonyms of
         each other; "to him the antonym of `gay' was `depressed'"
         [syn: {antonym}, {opposite word}, {opposite}] [ant:
         {equivalent word}, {synonym}]
    2: a relation of direct opposition; "we thought Sue was older
       than Bill but just the reverse was true" [syn: {reverse},
       {contrary}, {opposite}]
    3: a contestant that you are matched against [syn: {opposition},
       {opponent}, {opposite}]
    4: something inverted in sequence or character or effect; "when
       the direct approach failed he tried the inverse" [syn:
       {inverse}, {opposite}]
    

opposite \op"po*site\ ([o^]p"p[-o]*z[i^]t or
   [o^]p"p[-o]*s[i^]t), a. [F., fr. L. oppositus, p. p. of
   opponere. See {Opponent}.]
   1. Placed over against; standing or situated over against or
      in front; facing; -- often with to; as, a house opposite
      to the Exchange; the concert hall and the state theater
      stood opposite each other on the plaza.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Situated on the other end of an imaginary line passing
      through or near the middle of an intervening space or
      object; -- of one object with respect to another; as, the
      office is on the opposite side of town; -- also used both
      to describe two objects with respect to each other; as,
      the stores were on opposite ends of the mall.
      [PJC]

   3. Applied to the other of two things which are entirely
      different; other; as, the opposite sex; the opposite
      extreme; antonyms have opposite meanings.
      [1913 Webster +PJC]

   4. Extremely different; inconsistent; contrary; repugnant;
      antagonistic.
      [1913 Webster]

            Novels, by which the reader is misled into another
            sort of pleasure opposite to that which is designed
            in an epic poem.                      --Dryden.
      [1913 Webster]

            Particles of speech have divers, and sometimes
            almost opposite, significations.      --Locke.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. (Bot.)
      (a) Set over against each other, but separated by the
          whole diameter of the stem, as two leaves at the same
          node.
      (b) Placed directly in front of another part or organ, as
          a stamen which stands before a petal.
          [1913 Webster]
    

Opposite \Op"po*site\, n.
   1. One who opposes; an opponent; an antagonist. [Obs.]
      [1913 Webster]

            The opposites of this day's strife.   --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. That which is opposed or contrary in character or meaning;
      as, sweetness and its opposite; up is the opposite of
      down.
      [1913 Webster +PJC]

            The virtuous man meets with more opposites and
            opponents than any other.             --Landor.
      [1913 Webster]

   {polar opposite} that which is conspicuously different in
      most important respects.
      [PJC]
    

146 Moby Thesaurus words for "opposite":
      across, adversary, adversative, adverse, adversive, against, alien,
      antagonistic, anti, antipathetic, antipodal, antipode, antipodean,
      antipodes, antipole, antithesis, antithetic, antithetical, antonym,
      antonymous, at cross-purposes, at opposite extremes, back to back,
      balancing, clashing, compensating, competitive, con, conflicting,
      confronting, contra, contradictory, contradistinct, contrapositive,
      contrarious, contrariwise, contrary, contrary to, contrast,
      contrasted, contrasting, converse, counter, counteractive,
      counterbalance, counterbalancing, countercheck, counterpoint,
      counterpoise, counterpoised, counterpole, counterterm,
      countervailing, cross, dead against, detrimental, different,
      differing, difficult, disaccordant, discordant, discrepant,
      dissentient, dissimilar, divergent, diverse, enemy,
      eyeball to eyeball, eyeball-to-eyeball, face to face, facing, foil,
      fractious, fronting, hard, harmful, hostile, in contact with,
      in contrast with, in front of, in opposition, in opposition to,
      inconsistent, independent, inimical, inverse, irreconcilable,
      just opposite, miserable, negative, noncooperative, nose to nose,
      not easy, obstinate, obverse, offset, on, opponent, opposed,
      opposing, opposite number, opposite to, oppositional, oppositive,
      oppugnant, over against, overthwart, perverse, polar, polaric,
      polarized, poles apart, recalcitrant, refractory, replica,
      repugnant, reverse, rigorous, rival, separate, setoff, sinister,
      squared off, stressful, the contrary, the other side, to, toward,
      troublesome, troublous, trying, unalike, unconnected,
      uncooperative, unfavorable, unfriendly, unlike, unpropitious,
      unrelated, unsimilar, untoward, up against, upon, versus,
      vis-a-vis, wretched