contrast
Light against dark
Contrast is about difference—specifically, the kind that becomes visible or meaningful when things are placed side by side.
You might contrast two candidates' positions, or notice the contrast between someone's public persona and private behavior.
In visual contexts, contrast refers to the degree of difference between light and dark areas: Turn up the contrast on your monitor.
The word works as both noun and verb, with stress on the first syllable for the noun (CONtrast) and often on the second for the verb (conTRAST), though this distinction is fading.
Contrast technique in painting
- highlightMost notable part
- shadowLight blocked by object
- brightnessDegree of light emitted
- darknessTotal absence of light
saturation · tone · exposure · luminance · black-and-white · silhouette · gradient · shading
Direct opposite; contrasting juxtaposition
- oppositeReverse or contrary thing
- polarityState of opposing forces
- dichotomyDivision into contrasting parts
- contradictionOpposing claims, incompatible together
counterpoint · inverse · reversal · antipode · binary · converse · negation · foil
Notable difference or honor
- disparityMeasurable difference between things
- dissimilarityState of being unlike
- divergenceSeparation from common origin
- discrepancyDifference between expected and actual
variation · inequality · unlikeness · differentiation · deviation · gap · separation · heterogeneity
Direct opposite; contrasting juxtaposition
- paradoxSeemingly absurd truth
- oxymoronSelf-contradicting phrase device
- ironyMeaning opposite to words
- foilDefeat a plan
counterargument · compare · juxtapose · differentiate · distinguish · highlight · emphasize · underscore
Keenness of edge, mind, or image
- definitionStatement of meaning
- resolutionFormal decision or determination
- acuitySharpness of mind or sight
- crispnessSnappy, firm texture
visibility · legibility · focus · vividness · edge · detail · distinctness · delineation
Positioned next to another
- comparisonAssessment of similarities
- adjacencyState of being beside
- pairingJoining two together
- collageAssembled mixed-media artwork
montage · interplay · coexistence · apposition · parallel · before-and-after · tessellation · mosaic
chiaroscuro
Contrast technique in painting
- highlightMost notable part
- shadowLight blocked by object
- brightnessDegree of light emitted
darkness · saturation · tone · exposure · luminance · black-and-white · silhouette · gradient · shading · light-dark
antithesis
Direct opposite; contrasting juxtaposition
- oppositeReverse or contrary thing
- polarityState of opposing forces
- dichotomyDivision into contrasting parts
contradiction · counterpoint · inverse · reversal · antipode · binary · converse · negation · foil · counterpart
distinction
Notable difference or honor
- disparityMeasurable difference between things
- dissimilarityState of being unlike
- divergenceSeparation from common origin
discrepancy · variation · inequality · unlikeness · differentiation · deviation · gap · separation · heterogeneity · otherness
antithesis
Direct opposite; contrasting juxtaposition
foil · counterargument · compare · juxtapose · differentiate · distinguish · highlight · emphasize · underscore · accentuate
sharpness
Keenness of edge, mind, or image
- definitionStatement of meaning
- resolutionFormal decision or determination
- acuitySharpness of mind or sight
crispness · visibility · legibility · focus · vividness · edge · detail · distinctness · delineation · precision
side-by-side
Positioned next to another
- comparisonAssessment of similarities
- adjacencyState of being beside
- pairingJoining two together
collage · montage · interplay · coexistence · apposition · parallel · before-and-after · tessellation · mosaic · interface
- artfine art, Renaissance, painters, masterpieces, paint
- designdesign principles, functionality, emphasis, unity, graphic design
- Light & Colorhue, shade, tint, brightness, saturation
- photographycamera, photo, flash, lens, shooting
- color termsblack, white, red, blue, green
- design elementscolor, motif, shape, font choice, symmetry
contrastsimilarity
State of being alike
sameness · likeness · resemblance · correspondence · alikeness
contrastblend
Combine into mixture
harmony · uniformity · homogeneity · fusion · merger
- contrast dyeImaging agent for visibility
- compare and contrastAnalyze similarities and differences
- in contrastShowing difference between things
- high contrastStrong tonal difference
- stark contrastExtreme obvious difference
- in contrast to
contrasting, contrasts, contrasted, contrastive, contradistinction, contrasty