Against

• POS: Preposition
• HYPHEN: a=gainst

CIDE DICTIONARY

Against, prep. [OE. agens, ageynes, AS. ongegn. The s is adverbial, orig. a genitive ending. See Again.].

•  Abreast; opposite to; facing; towards; as, against the mouth of a river; -- in this sense often preceded by over.  [1913 Webster]

  "Jacob saw the angels of God come against him."  [1913 Webster]
•  From an opposite direction so as to strike or come in contact with; in contact with; upon; as, hail beats against the roof.  [1913 Webster]
•  In opposition to, whether the opposition is of sentiment or of action; on the other side; counter to; in contrariety to; hence, adverse to; as, against reason; against law; to run a race against time.  [1913 Webster]

  "The gate would have been shut against her."  [1913 Webster]

  "An argument against the use of steam."  [1913 Webster]
•  By of before the time that; in preparation for; so as to be ready for the time when.  [1913 Webster]

  "Urijah the priest made it, against King Ahaz came from Damascus."  [1913 Webster]

Against the sun, in a direction contrary to that in which the sun appears to move.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Against, prep.
1 in opposition to (fight against the invaders; am against hanging; arson is against the law).
2 into collision or in contact with (ran against a rock; lean against the wall; up against a problem).
3 to the disadvantage of (his age is against him).
4 in contrast to (against a dark background; 99 as against 102 yesterday).
5 in anticipation of or preparation for (against his coming; against a rainy day; protected against the cold; warned against pickpockets).
6 as a compensating factor to (income against expenditure).
7 in return for (issued against payment of the fee).

Idiom

against the clock see CLOCK(1) 3. against the grain see GRAIN. against time see TIME.

Etymology

ME ayenes etc. f. ayen AGAIN + -t as in amongst: see AMONG

THESAURUS

Against

about, across, adverse to, as to, at cross-purposes with, athwart, con, concerning, confronting, contra, contrary to, counter to, dead against, despite, en route to, facing, for, fronting, headed for, in conflict with, in contact with, in contempt of, in defiance of, in disagreement with, in front of, in opposition to, in order to, in passage to, in preparation for, in spite of, in transit to, next to, on, on route to, opposed to, opposite, opposite to, over against, re, regardless of, respecting, to, touching, toward, towards, up, up against, upon, versus, vis-a-vis, with respect to

ROGET THESAURUS

Against

Preparation

N preparation, providing, provision, providence, anticipation, precaution, preconcertation, predisposition, forecast, rehearsal, note of preparation, arrangement, clearance, adjustment, tuning, equipment, outfit, accouterment, armament, array, ripening, maturation, evolution, elaboration, concoction, digestion, gestation, batching, incubation, sitting, groundwork, first stone, cradle, stepping-stone, foundation, scaffold, scaffolding, echafaudage, training, inurement, novitiate, cooking, cookery, brewing, culinary art, tilling, plowing sowing, semination, cultivation, preparedness, readiness, ripeness, mellowness, maturity, un impromptu fait a loisir, preparer, trainer, pioneer, trailblazer, avant-courrier, avant-coureur, voortrekker, sappers and miners, pavior, navvy, packer, stevedore, warming pan, preparing, in preparation, in course of preparation, in agitation, in embryo, in hand, in train, afoot, afloat, on foot, on the stocks, on the anvil, under consideration, brewing, batching, forthcoming, brooding, in store for, in reserve, precautionary, provident, preparative, preparatory, provisional, inchoate, under revision, preliminary, prepared, in readiness, ready, ready to one's band, ready made, ready cut and dried: made to one's hand, handy, on the table, in gear, in working order, in working gear, snug, in practice, ripe, mature, mellow, pukka, practiced, labored, elaborate, highly-wrought, smelling of the lamp, worked up, in full feather, in best bib and tucker, in harness, at harness, in the saddle, in arms, in battle array, in war paint, up in arms, armed at all points, armed to the teeth, armed cap a pie, sword in hand, booted and spurred, in utrumque paratus, semper paratus, on the alert, at one's post, in preparation, in anticipation of, against, for, abroach, a bove majori discit arare minor, looking before and after, si vis pacem para bellum.

Opposition

N opposition, antagonism, oppugnancy, oppugnation, impugnation, contrariety, contravention, counteraction, counterplot, cross fire, undercurrent, head wind, clashing, collision, conflict, competition, two of a trade, rivalry, emulation, race, absence of aid, resistance, restraint, hindrance, opposing, opposed, adverse, antagonistic, contrary, at variance, at issue, at war with, unfavorable, unfriendly, hostile, inimical, cross, unpropitious, in hostile array, front to front, with crossed bayonets, at daggers drawn, up in arms, resistant, competitive, emulous, against, versus, counter to, in conflict with, at cross purposes, against the grain, against the current, against the stream, against the wind, against the tide, with a headwind, with the wind ahead, with the wind in one's teeth, in spite, in despite, in defiance, in the way, in the teeth of, in the face of, across, athwart, overthwart, where the shoe pinches, in spite of one's teeth, though, even, quand meme, per contra, nitor in adversum.

Counteraction

N counteraction, opposition, contrariety, antagonism, polarity, clashing, collision, interference, inhibition, resistance, renitency, friction, reaction, retroaction, counterblast, neutralization, vis inertiae, check, voluntary opposition &c, voluntary resistance, repression, opposites, action and reaction, yang and yin, yang-yin (contrariety), counteracting, antagonistic, conflicting, retroactive, renitent, reactionary, contrary, although, in spite of, against, for every action there is a reaction, equal in force and opposite in direction.

Contraposition

N contraposition, opposition, polarity, inversion, opposite side, reverse, inverse, counterpart, antipodes, opposite poles, North and South, antonym, opposite (contrariety), opposite, reverse, inverse, converse, antipodal, subcontrary, fronting, facing, diametrically opposite, Northern, septentrional, Boreal, arctic, Southern, Austral, antarctic, over, over the way, over against, against, face to face, vis-a- vis, as poles asunder.