Against
/əˈɡenst/
prepositionBeginnerVery CommonGeneral
Idiom
Meaning
Question
Definitions
1
In opposition to; contrary to; in contact with.
/əˈɡenst/
prepositionneutralBeginner
General
In opposition to; contrary to.
The team played against all odds.
💡 Simply: Opposite to; facing.
More Examples
2
He leaned against the wall.
How It's Used
General
"He argued against the proposal."
Sports
"They played against a strong opponent."
Idioms & expressions
be up against
To face a difficulty or challenge.
"We're up against a tough deadline."
From Old English *on-gegen, *on-geanes, meaning "towards, in the direction of," but with a sense of opposition.
The word maintained its core meaning of opposition throughout history, adapting to different grammatical contexts.
Memory tip
Think of it as 'going against' something.
Practice
againtsaginst
Usage
70%Spoken
30%Written