counterpoise
Offsetting equal force
Counterpoise is a force or weight that balances another—a counterbalancing element.
The word appears in both physical and abstract contexts: The crane's counterpoise kept the boom stable; Her optimism served as a counterpoise to his cynicism.
As a verb, to counterpoise is to offset or balance: The benefits counterpoise the risks.
The word is somewhat formal and literary, often replaceable by counterbalance or counterweight.
State of balance
- harmonyAgreement or musical blend
- symmetryInvariance under transformation
- proportionComparative relation of parts
- parityState of being equal
steadiness · evenness · stability · homeostasis · moderation · equanimity · levelness · calibration
Ship stability material
- anchorSecures ships to seabed
- pendulumSuspended swinging weight
- fulcrumLever's balance point
- deadweightInert, unproductive mass
mass · load · heft · leverage · tension · resistance · force · gravity
Secures ships to seabed
- braceDevice providing structural stability
- buttressArchitectural wall reinforcement
- steadyFixed, not fluctuating
- secureProtected from harm
support · bolster · reinforce · moor · balance · offset · neutralize · compensate
Direct opposite; contrasting juxtaposition
- contrastNotable difference between things
- juxtapositionAdjacent contrasting placement
- polarityState of opposing forces
- dichotomyDivision into contrasting parts
counterpart · foil · complement · inverse · opposite · counterforce · antagonist · contradiction
equilibrium
State of balance
- harmonyAgreement or musical blend
- symmetryInvariance under transformation
- proportionComparative relation of parts
parity · steadiness · evenness · stability · homeostasis · moderation · equanimity · levelness · calibration · alignment
ballast
Ship stability material
deadweight · mass · load · heft · leverage · tension · resistance · force · gravity · pressure
anchor
Secures ships to seabed
- braceDevice providing structural stability
- buttressArchitectural wall reinforcement
- steadyFixed, not fluctuating
secure · support · bolster · reinforce · moor · balance · offset · neutralize · compensate · equilibrate
antithesis
Direct opposite; contrasting juxtaposition
- contrastNotable difference between things
- juxtapositionAdjacent contrasting placement
- polarityState of opposing forces
dichotomy · counterpart · foil · complement · inverse · opposite · counterforce · antagonist · contradiction · tension
- Groundingground rod, ground wire, grounding rod, grounding wire, earth wire
counterpoiseimbalance
Lack of proportion
disequilibrium · unbalance · instability · disproportion · lopsidedness