against
Americanpreposition
-
in opposition to; contrary to; adverse or hostile to: against reason.
twenty votes against ten;
against reason.
-
in resistance to or defense from.
protection against burglars.
-
in an opposite direction to.
to ride against the wind.
-
into contact or collision with; toward; upon.
The rain beat against the window.
-
in contact with.
to lean against the wall.
-
in preparation for; in provision for.
money saved against a rainy day.
-
having as background.
a design of flowers against a dark wall.
-
in exchange for; as a balance to or debit or charge on.
He asked for an advance against his salary.
-
in competition with.
a racehorse running against his own record time.
-
in comparison or contrast with.
a matter of reason as against emotion.
-
The car is against the building.
conjunction
idioms
preposition
-
opposed to; in conflict or disagreement with
they fought against the legislation
-
standing or leaning beside or in front of
a ladder against the wall
-
coming in contact with
the branches of a tree brushed against the bus
-
in contrast to
silhouettes are outlines against a light background
-
having an adverse or unfavourable effect on
the economic system works against small independent companies
-
as a protection from or means of defence from the adverse effects of
a safeguard against contaminated water
-
in exchange for or in return for
-
rare in preparation for
he gave them warm clothing against their journey through the night
-
as opposed to or as compared with
he had two shots at him this time as against only one last time
Etymology
Origin of against
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English agens, ageynes, equivalent to ageyn again + -es -s 1; for -t cf. whilst, amongst
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Asian currencies were mixed against the dollar as traders grappled with growing Fed rate-hike expectations.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
Kim’s nuclear program thus far has proven to be a deterrent against military attacks or attempts to forcibly unseat him from power, enabling him to shift his focus to the economy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
Caitlin Clark is tarnishing her legacy by constantly complaining about fouling, fighting with her coach and pushing backlash against media covering her.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026
There was the sprint past Josko Gvardiol in the semi-final against Croatia, the 2009 winger reappearing for one extraordinary moment.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
“You’re never going to forgive me, are you? I made one mistake, and now you’re gonna hold it against me for the rest of my life?!”
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
