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PlainSpell

opposite

/ˈɑ.pə.sɪt/adjective, noun, adverb, preposition

opposite is spelled O-P-P-O-S-I-T-E: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 42 times per million words in written English, the 2,392nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, opposite means “Located directly across from something else, or from each other” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in opposite?

Letters8: O-P-P-O-S-I-T-E
Syllables3 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing42 times per million words; the 2,392nd most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is opposite?

Opposite appears 42 times per million words in written English, the 2,392nd most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce opposite?

  • UK /ˈɒp.ə.zɪt/
  • UK /ˈɒp.ə.sɪt/
  • US /ˈɑ.pə.sɪt/

Opposite has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-opposite.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of opposite

  • opposit
  • opposites plural

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does opposite mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

adjective

  1. 1

    Located directly across from something else, or from each other.

    She saw him walking on the opposite side of the road.

  2. 2

    Of leaves and flowers, positioned directly across from each other on a stem.

  3. 3

    Facing in the other direction.

    They were moving in opposite directions.

  4. 4

    Of either of two complementary or mutually exclusive things.

    He is attracted to the opposite sex.

  5. 5

    Extremely different; inconsistent; contrary; antagonistic.

    , Book III Particles of speech have divers, and sometimes almost opposite, significations.

noun

  1. 1

    A person or thing that is importantly (substantively) different from someone or something else.

  2. 2

    Especially, one that is different to the extreme degree of being the reverse.

    She is the opposite of her ex-boyfriend who abused her both physically and verbally nearly every day for five years. She now works as an advocate and supportive listener for others who have endured abusive relationships.

  3. 3

    An opponent.

    The dogfighter fought closely with his opposite.

  4. 4

    A counterpart.

    The Swedish diplomat worked closely with his opposite from Denmark.

  5. 5

    An antonym.

    "Up" is the opposite of "down".

  6. 6

    An additive inverse.

adverb

  1. 1

    In an opposite position.

    I was on my seat and she stood opposite.

  2. 2

    On another channel at the same time.

preposition

  1. 1

    Facing, or across from.

    There’s a bus stop opposite the faculty entrance, right on the other side of the road.

  2. 2

    In a complementary role to.

    He played opposite Marilyn Monroe.

  3. 3

    On another channel at the same time.

    The game show Just Men! aired opposite The Young and the Restless on CBS.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

How do you abbreviate opposite?

Wiktionary records one abbreviation of opposite: opp.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Opposite in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchopposé (located directly across from), contraire, inverse (contrary thing), adversaire (opponent), en face (in an opposite position), en face de (across from)
Germangegenüberliegend, andere (located directly across from), Gegenteil, Gegensatz (contrary thing), gegenüber (in an opposite position), entgegengesetzt (facing the other way)
Portugueseoposto (located directly across from), contrário (contrary thing), oponente (opponent), na frente de (across from), antónimo, antônimo (antonym)
Spanishopósito (located directly across from), contrario, opuesto (contrary thing), al opósito (in an opposite position)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does opposite come from?

Inherited from Middle English opposit, borrowed from Old French oposite, from Latin oppositus, perfect passive participle of oppōnō (“to oppose”). Compare oppose.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after opposite