From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcontrastcon‧trast1 /ˈkɒntrɑːst $ ˈkɑːntræst/ ●●○ W2 AWL noun 1 [countable, uncountable]DIFFERENT a difference between people, ideas, situations, things etc that are being compared While there are similarities in the two cultures, there are also great contrasts.contrast between the economic and social contrasts between the poor and the richcontrast with The marble is smooth and polished, making a strong contrast with the worn stonework around it.by contrast (to/with) The birth rate for older women has declined, but, by contrast, births to teenage mothers have increased.in contrast (to/with) The stock lost 60 cents a share, in contrast to last year, when it gained 21 cents.(in) stark/marked/sharp etc contrast to something The winter heat wave in California is a stark contrast to the below-freezing temperatures on the East Coast. The spirited mood on Friday was in sharp contrast to the tense atmosphere last week. The approach to learning at this school stands in marked contrast to the traditional methods used at other schools nearby.2 [countable]DIFFERENT something that is very different from something else The sauce is quite sweet, so add dried thyme as a contrast.contrast to The red stems of this bush provide a contrast to the drab brown of the winter garden.3 [uncountable]TCB the degree of difference between the light and dark parts of a television picture, X-ray, photocopy etc This button adjusts the contrast.4 [uncountable]AV the differences in colour, or between light and dark, that an artist uses in paintings or photographs to make a particular effect The artist has used contrast marvellously in his paintings.COLLOCATIONSadjectivesa complete/total contrastA complete contrast in building style can be seen in Commercial Road.a sharp/stark/strong contrast (=very great)There is a sharp contrast between the type of people who read the two newspapers.a marked/striking contrast (=very noticeable)I noticed a marked contrast in his behaviour before and after treatment.a startling contrast (=very noticeable and surprising)The big modern factories make a startling contrast to the opposite side of the road.a dramatic contrast (=great and surprising)Alaska is a land of dramatic contrast.an interesting contrastthe interesting contrast between his early and later paintingsa clear/obvious contrastThere was a clear contrast between the father and the son.verbsmake a contrastThe fruit and the meat make a delicious contrast of flavours.draw a contrast (=say there is a contrast)It is tempting to draw sharp contrasts between religion and science.provide/offer contrastThe plant is very attractive, and provides excellent contrast to other plants.highlight a contrast (=make a contrast very obvious)The research will highlight the contrasts between different approaches to taxation.stand in sharp/stark etc contrast to somethingThe mountains stand in stark contrast to the area around them.phrasesin direct contrast to something/somebody (=completely different to something or someone)She’s fun and warm and amusing – in direct contrast to James.in sharp/stark etc contrastWe are still getting some sun, in marked contrast to last year’s everlasting grey skies.
Examples from the Corpus
contrast• Personal selling and sales promotion activities, by contrast, tend to be more effective from Stage 3 onwards. 4.• By contrast, his present legislation is expected to sail through with little more than some scattered shots from the Parti Québécois.• By contrast, the median income of those with IRAs, savings and pension plans is $ 44,500.• The non-Communist forces, in contrast, are scattered.• In contrast to Seldane, Claritin is still considered a very safe drug.• In contrast to the life the researchers had witnessed during their descent, the view was now a barren moonscape.• He's known for his use of contrast in his paintings.• What surprised me was the contrast between Picasso's early style and his later work.• The contrasts between the two men are far more telling.(in) stark/marked/sharp etc contrast to something• Bayfront Park, lined with gently swaying Palm trees, was a marked contrast to the gravity of the day.• His lack of hypocrisy is in sharp contrast to some politicians.• This is in sharp contrast to the approach of traditional neo-classical economics.• Is that not in stark contrast to Labour Members who trade on the squalor and misery of people who are not housed?• Cactus-covered buttes stand in sharp contrast to the blue water, making this an idyllic spot for a getaway.• The kids are mostly minorities; their bleak, impoverished lives stand in stark contrast to the mansions on their maps.• The shares opened at 28p yesterday, in sharp contrast to a high of 233p in August 1988.contrast to• He wore a dark suit and tie, a contrast to the brightly colored shirts he usually wears.contrastcon‧trast2 /kənˈtrɑːst $ -ˈtræst/ ●●○ AWL verb 1 [intransitive] if two things contrast, the difference between them is very easy to see and is sometimes surprisingcontrast with The snow was icy and white, contrasting with the brilliant blue sky.contrast sharply/strikingly with something (=be extremely different from something) These results contrast sharply with other medical tests carried out in Australia.2 [transitive]COMPARE to compare two things, ideas, people etc to show how different they are from each othercontrast something with something In another passage, Melville again contrasts the land with the sea. an essay comparing and contrasting (=showing how two things are similar and different) Verdi and Wagner and their operas► see thesaurus at compare→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
contrast• It is interesting to contrast gravitation with the other long-range force of nature - electromagnetism.• It is interesting to contrast life in Spain now with what it was like prior to 1975.• The graceful flourish of his handwriting contrasted oddly with the fractured grammar and exotic spelling of his prose.• Her paintings often contrast the mystical activities of women with the rational activities of male scientists.• The guide was contrasting the styles of Monet and Manet.• She has written a book contrasting the two prison systems.• The book compares and contrasts the various methods used in language teaching.• This contrasts with capital market securities, which have maturities in excess of one year.• Now only one pixel in each column must be activated; all the others must contrast with it.• In the film, the peaceful life of a monk is contrasted with the violent life of a murderer.contrast sharply/strikingly with something• The highly charged atmosphere of the House panel contrasted sharply with a similar investigation being conducted in the Senate, where Sen.• This contrasts sharply with chemical Products, by far the greater part of those sales are external.• His lack of charisma and often unhappy persona will contrast sharply with Mandela's awesome humility, humour and stern paternalism.• This is not the first time that Rumsfeld's downbeat caution has contrasted sharply with Powell's greater internationalist team spirit.• Horsley just smiled, his large relaxed frame and confident bonhomie contrasting sharply with the abrupt style of the little self-made Geordie.• He contrasted sharply with the acceptance horn, exemplified by career policemen.• Bruch painted a psychological portrait of the obese that contrasted sharply with the image of the jolly fat person.comparing and contrasting• Our task will be one of comparing and contrasting them.Origin contrast2 (1600-1700) French contraster, from Italian contrastare “to stand out against, fight against”, from Latin contra- ( → CONTRA-) + stare “to stand” 