opposing forces
Enemies in conflict
Opposing forces are powers or influences that work against each other.
In physics, forces like gravity and lift or friction and momentum act in contrary directions.
In storytelling, opposing forces create conflict—protagonist against antagonist, desire against obstacle.
The term extends to any competing pressures: The opposing forces of ambition and family pulled her in different directions.
- polarityState of opposing forces
- gravityMutual mass attraction
- inverseOpposite in position
- conflictOpposition between parties
- clash of titansStruggle between great powers
negation · tug-of-war · tug of war · dichotomy · war · battle lines · yin-yang · good versus evil · good · countervailing · paradox · counterposed · magnetism · evil · protest · tidal forces · wind resistance · contradictory
- Dualityduality, dual nature, two sides, yin and yang, yin-yang
- Religious DualismGnosticism, Zoroastrianism, good and evil, light and darkness, Bogomilism
- chesscheck, pawns, knights, rooks, pawn
- incompatibilityoil and water, chalk and cheese, apples and oranges, mismatch, clash
- literary devicesmetaphor, simile, hyperbole, personification, alliteration
opposing forcesallied forces
Militaries united by agreement
allies · coalition forces · joint forces · reinforcements · united front
opposing forcescollaborators
People who work jointly
partners · teammates · supporters · backers · confederates