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Glite Dictionary
contrarious

contrarious

9.9
Often disagreeing with others on purpose to be difficult
  • adjective
  • /kənˈtrɛrɪəs/
  • Literature
translation icon : contrario
  • Her contrarious attitude made every group decision an uphill battle.

Examples

  • His contrarious nature often led him to take unpopular stances merely for the sake of opposition.

  • The child grew even more contrarious whenever he was told what to do.

  • His contrarious nature often frustrated his friends.

  • She has a contrarious attitude towards authority.

  • Her contrarious attitude made every group decision an uphill battle.

  • The child grew even more contrarious whenever he was told what to do.

  • His contrarious nature often led him to take unpopular stances merely for the sake of opposition.

Synonyms

contrary
vscontrarious
183 4.5

Opposed to something, often going against the facts

is intentional and perverse opposition rather than mere difference in nature
oppositional
vscontrarious
5 6.6

Showing disagreement or resistance to someone with power

is driven by deliberate perversity and a general tendency to contradict others
cross-grained
vscontrarious
  • Informal
9.0

A person who is stubborn and often refuses to agree with others

is marked by deliberate perversity and a general tendency to oppose
dissentious
vscontrarious
  • Archaic
9.9

Likely to disagree with most people and start arguments

is broader, marking willful opposition beyond just disagreeing with majority opinion
dissentient
vscontrarious
  • Formal
9.8

Disagreeing with the majority or with official opinion

is more about personal perversity and deliberate contradiction, not only nonconformity

Antonyms

cooperative
119 3.5

Willing to work with other people to reach a shared goal

agreeable
17 3.3

Ready to say yes to an idea or request

How Contrary

perverse
78 7.9
obstinate
16 7.5
contrarious
  • Literature
9.9
uncooperative
22 4.5
difficult
386 2.1

Surface Forms

contrarious positive

Morphology

contrarious = contrary (transparent) = contrary + ous

Meaning is predictably derived from 'contrary' with the adjectival suffix '-ous', so learners who know 'contrary' can infer this adjective.

Etymology

Contrarious comes from the Latin part contra, which means 'against', and is like the familiar words contrary and contrast. So a contrarious person is one who acts 'against' others or likes to oppose, which explains the word's modern meaning.