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Opposite; in an opposite direction; in opposition; adverse; as, contrary winds. And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me. Lev. xxvi. 21. We have lost our labor; they are gone a contrary way. Shak.

Contrary in an inferior degree.

To shrink back with horror, disgust, or dislike; to be contrary or averse; -- with from. [Obs.] "To abhor from those vices." Udall. Which is utterly abhorring from the end of all law. Milton.

Contrary or repugnant; discordant; inconsistent; -- followed by to. "Injudicious profanation, so abhorrent to our stricter principles." Gibbon.

Discordant; contrary; -- opposed to consonant. "Absonant to nature." Quarles.

Contrary to reason or propriety; obviously and fiatly opposed to manifest truth; inconsistent with the plain dictates of common sense; logically contradictory; nonsensical; ridiculous; as, an absurd person, an absurd opinion; an absurd dream. This proffer is absurd and reasonless. Shak. 'This phrase absurd to call a vi…

sexual intercourse. During coverture, access of the husband shall be presumed, unless the contrary be shown. Blackstone.

ngs demanding that the defendant shall render his just account, or show good cause to the contrary; -- called also an action of account. Cowell.

motion. Johnson. Men of the greatest abilities are most fired with ambition; and, on the contrary, mean and narrow minds are the least actuated by it. Addison.

Acting against, or in a contrary direction; opposed; contrary; opposite; conflicting; as, adverse winds; an adverse party; a spirit adverse to distinctions of caste.

t, against King Ahaz came from Damascus. 2 Kings xvi. 11. Against the sun, in a direction contrary to that in which the sun appears to move.

by to, rarely by with. That which is agreeable to the nature of one thing, is many times contrary to the nature of another. L'Estrange.

Ambiguous discourse; amphibology. If it oracle contrary to our interest or humor, we will create an amphiboly, a double meaning where there is none. Whitlock.

A description or definition contrary to that which is given by the adverse party. [R.]

A prefix meaning against, opposite or opposed to, contrary, or in place of; -- used in composition in many English words. It is often shortened to ant-; as, antacid, antarctic.

Of the contrary name or character; -- opposed to analogous. Antilogous pole (Eccl.), that pole of a crystal which becomes negatively electrified when heated.

The upper, contrary-moving current of the atmosphere over a monsoon.

Running in a contrary direction. Hammond.

Belonging to antipathy; opposite; contrary; allopathic.

Contrary to nature; unnatural.