contrary
contrary — 形容詞
- contrarypositive
- more contrarycomparative
- most contrarysuperlative
1. standing in direct opposition to something else in character, intent, or directi
相反的
在性質或方向上完全不同的
standing in direct opposition to something else in character, intent, or direction — for example, two people who take opposite sides on every issue, or a car heading the wrong way down a one-way street.
Minho and his sister Lakshmi hold contrary views on almost every political issue.
Minho 和他的妹妹 Lakshmi 在幾乎所有政治議題上都持相反的觀點。
collocation: hold contrary views
Dr. Chidi's climate data was contrary to what her research team had predicted.
Dr. Chidi 的氣候數據與她研究團隊預測的結果相反。
pattern: be contrary to [noun]
Quinn's account of the accident ran contrary to what the security camera showed.
Quinn 對事故的描述與監視器拍到的畫面相反。
These two arguments are contrary to each other, so at least one must be wrong.
這兩個論點彼此矛盾，因此至少有一個是錯的。
- opposite
more direct and common; 'contrary' suggests a more active or fundamental opposition
- conflicting
focuses on clash or incompatibility, often of interests or schedules
- contradictory
specifically about statements or ideas that cannot both be true
- consistent
not changing or in agreement
- compatible
able to exist together without conflict
用法筆記
Frequently followed by the preposition 'to' in the pattern 'be contrary to something'. The meaning is stronger than simply 'different' — it implies direct opposition.
常見錯誤
2. varying sharply from what the majority accepts or expects — used especially in t
違背；不符
與普遍看法或預期不同的
varying sharply from what the majority accepts or expects — used especially in the fixed phrase 'contrary to popular belief' or 'contrary to expectations' to present a fact that may surprise the reader.
Contrary to popular belief, the brown garden spiders in Adina's backyard are completely harmless.
與普遍看法相反，Adina 後院裡的棕色花園蜘蛛完全無害。
fixed phrase: contrary to popular belief
Contrary to what the morning news reported, the festival was a great success.
與早間新聞報導相反，那個節日辦得非常成功。
Eshe's test results were contrary to everything the doctors had predicted.
Eshe 的檢驗結果與醫生們原先預測的情況不符。
Contrary to his parents' hopes, Vikram decided not to attend university.
與父母的期望相反，Vikram 決定不去讀大學。
- opposed to
stronger sense of active resistance; less common in this discourse-marker role
- counter to
more formal, often used in writing or analysis
- in accordance with
showing agreement or alignment
文法句型
contrary to [noun phrase]
用法筆記
Almost always used in the phrase 'contrary to' (prepositional). The phrase 'contrary to popular belief' is a very common discourse marker used to challenge a widespread assumption. This sense is NOT used directly before a noun (e.g. 'a contrary belief' would mean a belief that opposes another belief — sense 1, not this sense).
常見錯誤
3. applied to a person who habitually opposes or contradicts others, often simply f
愛唱反調
故意與人唱反調的
applied to a person who habitually opposes or contradicts others, often simply for the pleasure of arguing rather than out of genuine conviction.
Selim's contrary nature means he always argues even when he secretly agrees.
Selim 那種愛唱反調的個性，使他在內心同意的時候也非要爭論一番。
collocation: contrary nature
Putri found her neighbour's contrary behaviour exhausting and unnecessary.
Putri 覺得鄰居愛唱反調的行為既累人又沒必要。
The more Coach Bilal praised the swimming plan, the more contrary his nephew became about every length.
Bilal 教練越稱讚游泳訓練計畫，他的姪子就越抗拒每一項練習。
A contrary toddler might refuse a favourite snack simply because it was offered.
一個倔強的孩子可能會因為人家主動給了，反而連最喜歡的點心都不肯吃。
用法筆記
Describes a personality trait or a person's general attitude, not a single opinion. The noun form 'contrariness' is sometimes used. A 'contrary' person is not simply someone who disagrees — they disagree for the sake of disagreeing.
常見錯誤
4. going against something such as a rule, a goal, or natural force — for example,
不利的
對目標或行動構成阻礙的
going against something such as a rule, a goal, or natural force — for example, winds that blow against a ship's intended route, or a decision that works against someone's interests.
The yacht struggled to reach the harbour in strong contrary winds.
那艘遊艇在強勁的逆風中奮力駛向港口。
collocation: contrary winds
The planning committee's decision to build a highway was contrary to what the village residents had asked for.
規劃委員會興建高速公路的決定，違背了村民們的訴求。
pattern: be contrary to [noun] (obstacle sense)
Diya's promotion went ahead despite contrary advice from her department head.
Diya 不顧部門主管的反對意見，還是獲得了晉升。
The runner pushed forward against contrary winds and finished the race.
那名跑者頂著逆風向前衝，完成了比賽。
- unfavourable
broader — can describe any condition that makes success harder
- hostile
much stronger; implies active opposition, not just being unfavourable
- adverse
more formal; common in weather and medical contexts
- favourable
helpful or supportive to a goal
- following
moving in the same direction, especially of wind or current
用法筆記
Often describes physical obstacles (contrary winds, contrary currents) or decisions/rules that work against someone. Distinct from sense 1 (OPPOSITE), which describes two things being opposite each other — this sense describes one force or thing acting against another.
contrary — 副詞
1. signalling a direct contrast with the statement that came before, typically at t
相反地
用以引出與前述相反的陳述
signalling a direct contrast with the statement that came before, typically at the opening of a new clause.
Contrary, the lead economist argued that raising corporate taxes could boost local hiring.
相反地，首席經濟學家主張提高企業稅可以促進本地就業。
sentence adverb for contrast
The north window faces the sunrise; contrary, the south room stays dark all morning.
朝北的窗戶面向日出；相反地，南邊的房間整個早上都暗沉沉的。
Some people believe technology divides families; contrary, it can bring them closer.
有些人認為科技會讓家人疏遠；相反地，科技也能讓家人更親近。
The patient's fever worsened during the night; contrary, by morning it had dropped.
病人的體溫在夜間惡化；相反地，到了清晨反而降下來了。
- contrarily
more common adverb form; same meaning
- conversely
standard in academic writing; used to introduce a reversed perspective
用法筆記
This form is very rare in modern English. Most speakers use 'on the contrary' or 'contrarily' instead. You may encounter 'contrary' used this way in older or very formal writing only.
contrary — 名詞
1. the complete reverse of a claim, belief, or expectation — the state of affairs t
相反
與所述完全相反的事實或情況
the complete reverse of a claim, belief, or expectation — the state of affairs that directly contradicts what was previously stated or assumed.
Mark claims the economy is improving, but the evidence suggests the contrary.
Mark 聲稱經濟正在好轉，但證據顯示情況正好相反。
the contrary = the opposite fact
Vikram expected a hostile reception, but the contrary proved to be true.
Vikram 原本預期會受到敵意對待，但結果卻恰恰相反。
Lara told her mother she was perfectly content, yet everything she did showed the contrary.
Lara 告訴她母親她非常滿足，但她所做的一切都顯示了相反的實情。
The neighbours assumed Mr. Niran had retired, but his daily schedule showed the contrary.
鄰居們都以為 Niran 先生退休了，但他的日常行程表顯示正好相反。
- the opposite
more common in everyday speech; 'the contrary' is more formal
- the reverse
emphasises a complete turning-around of a situation
文法句型
the contrary
用法筆記
Always used with the definite article 'the'. Often follows verbs like 'suggest', 'show', 'indicate', 'prove', or 'believe'. For a more conversational alternative, use 'the opposite' instead.
常見錯誤
2. a fixed phrase used to strongly deny what someone has just said and to state the
恰恰相反
用以強調實際情況與前述完全相反
a fixed phrase used to strongly deny what someone has just said and to state the opposite as the truth — typically at the start of a sentence that corrects a false impression.
The driving test was not difficult at all. On the contrary, Mei finished it in under ten minutes.
駕照考試一點也不難。恰恰相反，Mei 不到十分鐘就考完了。
discourse marker correcting a negative statement
Andrei did not reject the job offer. On the contrary, he accepted it right away.
Andrei 沒有拒絕那份工作。恰恰相反，他立刻就接受了。
Far from being rude, Christopher was on the contrary very polite and helpful.
Christopher 根本不是沒禮貌，恰恰相反，他非常客氣又樂於助人。
The new parking policy did nothing to reduce traffic. On the contrary, more cars appeared each morning.
新的停車政策完全沒有減少車流。恰恰相反，每天早上出現的車輛反而更多了。
- quite the opposite
less formal; same meaning
- far from it
emphatic denial; often used alone or after a comma
- just the reverse
less common but equivalent
文法句型
on the contrary, [clause]
用法筆記
Use 'on the contrary' after a negative statement to say that the exact reverse is true. Do NOT use it after a positive statement just to add a different idea — use 'in contrast' or 'however' instead. Example: ✅ 'He isn't lazy. On the contrary, he works very hard.' ❌ 'He is tall. On the contrary, his brother is short.'
常見錯誤
3. a fixed phrase used after a noun to indicate that something (such as evidence, a
反證
提出或表明相反情況的證據或陳述
a fixed phrase used after a noun to indicate that something (such as evidence, a statement, or a belief) says or proves the opposite of what has been mentioned or assumed.
Unless we receive news to the contrary, the flight will depart at noon as planned.
除非我們收到相反的消息，否則航班將按計劃中午起飛。
phrase: news to the contrary
The manager claimed the project was on budget, but Andrei had documents to the contrary.
經理聲稱專案沒有超支，但 Andrei 手上握有相反的資料。
Despite statements to the contrary, the company laid off two hundred employees last month.
儘管有相反的聲明，那家公司上個月還是裁掉了兩百名員工。
Quinn said the hotel was booked, but a phone call produced evidence to the contrary.
Quinn 說飯店客滿了，但一通電話就找到了相反的證據。
- otherwise
adverb that covers the same territory (e.g. 'unless we hear otherwise')
- the opposite
simpler but less formal; used as a noun phrase
文法句型
evidence/statement to the contrary
用法筆記
Always follows a noun — it acts as a post-modifier. Common nouns used before it: 'evidence', 'information', 'news', 'statement', 'claim', 'suggestion', 'rumour'. The phrase is formal; in conversation, people often say 'showing the opposite' or 'proving otherwise' instead.