From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishon the contrary/quite the contraryon the contrary/quite the contraryDISAGREEused to add to a negative statement, to disagree with a negative statement by someone else, or to answer no to a question It wasn’t a good thing; on the contrary it was a huge mistake. ‘I suppose your wife doesn’t understand you.’ ‘On the contrary, she understands me very well.’ ‘Are they happy?’ ‘No, no, quite the contrary.’ → contrary
