Counteract
/ˌkaʊntərˈækt/
Definitions
To act in opposition to so as to lessen or neutralize the effects of something; to neutralize or check.
/ˌkaʊntərˈækt/
To take action to reduce the effect of something.
The new regulations aim to counteract the negative impact of pollution.
💡 Simply: Imagine someone's trying to do something, and you want to stop or weaken their plan. Counteract means to do something that cancels out or reduces the impact of what they're doing. Like, if your friend puts too much salt in the soup, you might add a bit of water to counteract it.
👶 For kids: To do something to stop another thing from happening or to make it less strong. Like when you put sunscreen on to stop the sun from burning you.
More Examples
Exercise can counteract the effects of a sedentary lifestyle.
The company launched an advertising campaign to counteract the negative publicity.
How It's Used
"The doctor administered a drug to counteract the side effects of the medication."
"The government implemented policies to counteract the rising inflation."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
From counter- (against) + act. The word first appeared in the late 16th century.
The term was used in early scientific and philosophical writing to describe actions that worked against something else.
Memory tip
Think of *counter* as 'against' and *act* as 'doing'. Doing something against another action.
Word Origin
"counter- (against) + act (to do)"