opponent
[noun]
Synonyms: competitor, adversary, antagonist, challenger, contestant, enemy, foe, rival

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Antonyms: exponent, pro, proponent
Contrasted words: ally, colleague, comrade, confederate, partner, advocate, champion
Related Words: enemy, foe, competitor, rival, assailant, combatant, counteragent

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English Thesaurus: enemy, adversary, foe, arch enemy, opponent, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

op‧po‧nent W3 /əˈpəʊnənt $ əˈpoʊ-/ noun [countable]
[Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: present participle of opponere; ⇒ oppose]

1. someone who you try to defeat in a competition, game, fight, or argument:
Graf’s opponent in today’s final will be Sukova.
leading/main/chief opponent
During the primary elections, McCain was Bush’s leading opponent.
formidable/worthy opponent
In debate he was a formidable opponent.
He is admired even by his political opponents.

2. someone who disagrees with a plan, idea, or system and wants to try to stop or change it Antonym : proponent
opponent of
Rodgers was not an opponent of the new airport.
bitter/vocal/outspoken opponent
an outspoken opponent of gun control

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

opponent
noun
I. person who plays against sb
ADJ. chief, main | dangerous, tough | worthy
VERB + OPPONENT attack, hit | beat, defeat | get past, outfox, outmanoeuvre, outwit | face Today she faces her toughest opponent on Centre Court.
mark | tackle | bring down, foul
 ⇒ Special page at SPORT

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

opponent
II. sb who disagrees with sb's actions/plans/beliefs
ADJ. chief, leading, main | bitter, fierce, formidable, strong, vigorous | outspoken, vocal, vociferous | worthy | political | government

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

opponent

somebody's main/chief opponent
Who was her main opponent for the presidential nomination?
a leading opponent (=one of the main opponents)
In July the authorities arrested two leading opponents of the government.
a strong/tough opponent (=one that is difficult to defeat)
Arizona is a strong opponent, but the Oregon team intend to beat them.
a formidable opponent (=a very strong opponent)
In debate, he was a formidable opponent.
a dangerous opponent (=one who might defeat you)
In tomorrow's match, he will take on his most dangerous opponent.
a political opponent
the President's political opponents
a worthy opponent (=one who deserves respect)
The Democratic Senator has shown himself to be a worthy opponent.
face an opponent
The team were facing their final opponent of the season.
defeat an opponent
She came within three points of defeating her opponent.
outfox/outwit/outmanoeuvre an opponent (=gain an advantage over an opponent by being more intelligent or skilful than they are)
Football is all about outwitting your opponents.
the main/chief opponent
one of the new law's main opponents
a leading opponent (=one of the main opponents, often influencing other people)
She was a leading opponent of gun control in the Senate.
a strong opponent (=one who feels strongly that a particular thing is wrong and tries to stop it)
Brennan was a strong opponent of the death penalty.
a fierce/bitter opponent (=a very strong opponent, who often expresses their opinions angrily)
She became well-known as a bitter opponent of slavery.
a vigorous opponent (=one who opposes something with a lot of energy and determination)
a vigorous opponent of the use of nuclear weapons
an outspoken/vocal opponent (=one who publicly expresses disagreement with something)
He was a vocal opponent of closer relations with the United States.
a vociferous opponent (=one who publicly expresses very strong disagreement)
Many residents were vociferous opponents of the plan.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

enemy someone who does not like you because you have had a big disagreement with them in the past or someone who opposes you in business or politics:
If that’s how he treats his friends, I’d hate to be his enemy.
In business, it’s best not to make too many enemies.
adversary formal an enemy:
When he retired, he was replaced by his old adversary.
He made the fatal mistake of underestimating his adversary.
foe literary an enemy:
A guard called out ‘Who goes there – friend or foe?’
his former foes
arch enemy someone’s main enemy:
In the movie, Batman goes into battle with his arch enemy the Joker.
opponent someone you are competing against, for example in a sports game, competition, or election:
You win the game if you are left with more cards than your opponent.
He is admired even by his political opponents.
nemesis written an enemy or opponent that is impossible to defeat – a rather formal use:
In the final, he met his old nemesis, Rafael Nadal.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲