Opposite vs. Reverse — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Opposite and Reverse
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Definitions
Opposite
Placed or located directly across from something else or from each other
Opposite sides of a building.
Reverse
Turned backward in position, direction, or order
The reverse side of the poster.
Opposite
Facing the other way; moving or tending away from each other
Opposite directions.
Reverse
Moving, acting, or organized in a manner contrary to the usual
In reverse order.
Opposite
Being the other of two complementary or mutually exclusive things
The opposite sex.
An opposite role to the lead in the play.
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Reverse
Causing backward movement
A reverse gear.
Opposite
Altogether different, as in nature, quality, or significance
The effect of the medication was opposite to that intended.
Reverse
(Printing) Printed in such a way that the normally colored part appears white against a colored or black background.
Opposite
Sharply contrasting; antithetical
Had opposite views on the subject.
Reverse
The opposite or contrary
All along we thought Sue was older than Bill, but just the reverse was true.
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Opposite
Growing in pairs on either side of a stem
Opposite leaves.
Reverse
The back or rear part
The reverse of the flyer.
Opposite
Arranged on the same radius as another part, as stamens and petals.
Reverse
The side of a coin or medal that does not carry the principal design; the verso.
Opposite
One that is opposite or contrary to another.
Reverse
A change to an opposite position, condition, or direction.
Opposite
An opponent or antagonist.
Reverse
A change in fortune from better to worse; a setback
Suffered financial reverses.
Opposite
An antonym.
Reverse
A mechanism, such as a gear in a motor vehicle, that is used to reverse movement.
Opposite
In an opposite position
They sat opposite at the table.
Reverse
The position or operating condition of such a mechanism.
Opposite
Across from or facing
Parked the car opposite the bank.
Reverse
Movement in an opposite direction.
Opposite
In a complementary dramatic role to
He played opposite her.
Reverse
(Football) An offensive play in which a ball carrier running in one direction executes a handoff to a player running in the opposite direction.
Opposite
Located directly across from something else, or from each other.
She saw him walking on the opposite side of the road.
Reverse
To turn around to the opposite direction
The wind reversed the weather vane.
Opposite
(botany) Of leaves and flowers, positioned directly across from each other on a stem.
Reverse
To turn inside out or upside down
Reverse a jacket.
Opposite
Facing in the other direction.
They were moving in opposite directions.
Reverse
To exchange the positions of; transpose
Reversed the people on stage.
Opposite
Of either of two complementary or mutually exclusive things.
He is attracted to the opposite sex.
Reverse
(Law) To change or set aside (a lower court's decision).
Opposite
Extremely different; inconsistent; contrary; repugnant; antagonistic.
Reverse
To cause to adopt a contrary viewpoint
Reversed himself during the campaign.
Opposite
Something opposite or contrary to something else.
Reverse
To change to the opposite
Reversed their planned course of action.
Opposite
A person or thing that is entirely different from or the reverse of someone or something else; used to show contrast between two people or two things.
She is the opposite of her ex-boyfriend who abused her both physically and verbally nearly every day for five years. She now works as an advocate and supportive listener for others who have endured abusive relationships.
Reverse
To cause (an engine or mechanism) to function in reverse.
Opposite
An opponent.
Reverse
To direct that (a charge) apply to the person receiving instead of making a telephone call.
Opposite
An antonym.
"Up" is the opposite of "down".
Reverse
To turn or move in the opposite direction.
Opposite
(mathematics) An additive inverse.
Reverse
To reverse the action of an engine.
Opposite
In an opposite position.
I was on my seat and she stood opposite.
Where's the bus station? -Over there, just opposite.
Reverse
Opposite, contrary; going in the opposite direction.
We ate the meal in reverse order, starting with dessert and ending with the starter.
The mirror showed us a reverse view of the scene.
Opposite
Facing, or across from.
He lives opposite the pub.
Reverse
Pertaining to engines, vehicle movement etc. moving in a direction opposite to the usual direction.
He selected reverse gear.
Opposite
In a complementary role to.
He played opposite Marilyn Monroe.
Reverse
To be in the non-default position; to be set for the lesser-used route.
Opposite
(television) On another channel at the same time.
The game show Just Men! aired opposite The Young and the Restless on CBS.
Reverse
Turned upside down; greatly disturbed.
Opposite
Placed over against; standing or situated over against or in front; facing; - often with to; as, a house opposite to the Exchange; the concert hall and the state theater stood opposite each other on the plaza.
Reverse
(botany) Reversed.
A reverse shell
Opposite
Situated on the other end of an imaginary line passing through or near the middle of an intervening space or object; - of one object with respect to another; as, the office is on the opposite side of town; - also used both to describe two objects with respect to each other; as, the stores were on opposite ends of the mall.
Reverse
(genetics) In which cDNA synthetization is obtained from an RNA template.
Opposite
Applied to the other of two things which are entirely different; other; as, the opposite sex; the opposite extreme; antonyms have opposite meanings.
Reverse
In a reverse way or direction; in reverse; upside-down.
Opposite
Extremely different; inconsistent; contrary; repugnant; antagonistic.
Novels, by which the reader is misled into another sort of pleasure opposite to that which is designed in an epic poem.
Particles of speech have divers, and sometimes almost opposite, significations.
Reverse
The opposite of something.
We believed the Chinese weren't ready for us. In fact, the reverse was true.
Opposite
Set over against each other, but separated by the whole diameter of the stem, as two leaves at the same node.
Reverse
The act of going backwards; a reversal.
Opposite
One who opposes; an opponent; an antagonist.
The opposites of this day's strife.
Reverse
A piece of misfortune; a setback.
Opposite
That which is opposed or contrary in character or meaning; as, sweetness and its opposite; up is the opposite of down.
The virtuous man meets with more opposites and opponents than any other.
Reverse
The tails side of a coin, or the side of a medal or badge that is opposite the obverse.
Opposite
Two words that express opposing concepts;
To him the opposite of gay was depressed
Reverse
The side of something facing away from a viewer, or from what is considered the front; the other side.
Opposite
A relation of direct opposition;
We thought Sue was older than Bill but just the reverse was true
Reverse
The gear setting of an automobile that makes it travel backwards.
Opposite
A contestant that you are matched against
Reverse
A thrust in fencing made with a backward turn of the hand; a backhanded stroke.
Opposite
Something inverted in sequence or character or effect;
When the direct approach failed he tried the inverse
Reverse
(surgery) A turn or fold made in bandaging, by which the direction of the bandage is changed.
Opposite
Being directly across from each other; facing;
And I on the opposite shore will be, ready to ride and spread the alarm
We lived on opposite sides of the street
At opposite poles
Reverse
(transitive) To turn something around so that it faces the opposite direction or runs in the opposite sequence.
To reverse the order of books on a shelf
To reverse a portion of video footage
Opposite
Of leaves etc; growing in pairs on either side of a stem;
Opposite leaves
Reverse
(transitive) To turn something inside out or upside down.
Opposite
Moving or facing away from each other;
Looking in opposite directions
They went in opposite directions
Reverse
(transitive) To transpose the positions of two things.
Opposite
The other one of a complementary pair;
The opposite sex
The two chess kings are set up on squares of opposite colors
Reverse
(transitive) To change totally; to alter to the opposite.
All trends reverse eventually.
Opposite
Altogether different in nature or quality or significance;
The medicine's effect was opposite to that intended
It is said that opposite characters make a union happiest
Reverse
To return, come back.
Opposite
Characterized by opposite extremes; completely opposed;
In diametric contradiction to his claims
Diametrical (or opposite) points of view
Opposite meanings
Extreme and indefensible polar positions
Reverse
To turn away; to cause to depart.
Opposite
Directly facing each other;
The two photographs lay face-to-face on the table
Lived all their lives in houses face-to-face across the street
They sat opposite at the table
Reverse
To cause to return; to recall.
Reverse
(legal) To revoke a law, or to change a decision into its opposite.
To reverse a judgment, sentence, or decree
Reverse
To cause a mechanism to operate or move in the opposite direction to normal; to drive a vehicle in the direction the driver has the back.
Reverse
(chemistry) To change the direction of a reaction such that the products become the reactants and vice-versa.
Reverse
To place (a set of points) in the reverse position.
Reverse
To move from the normal position to the reverse position.
Reverse
To engage reverse thrust on (an engine).
Reverse
To overthrow; to subvert.
Reverse
(computing) reverse-engineer
Reverse
Turned backward; having a contrary or opposite direction; hence; opposite or contrary in kind; as, the reverse order or method.
Reverse
Turned upside down; greatly disturbed.
He found the sea diverseWith many a windy storm reverse.
Reverse
Reversed; as, a reverse shell.
Reverse
That which appears or is presented when anything, as a lance, a line, a course of conduct, etc., is reverted or turned contrary to its natural direction.
He did so with the reverse of the lance.
Reverse
That which is directly opposite or contrary to something else; a contrary; an opposite.
And then mistook reverse of wrong for right.
To make everything the reverse of what they have seen, is quite as easy as to destroy.
Reverse
The act of reversing; complete change; reversal; hence, total change in circumstances or character; especially, a change from better to worse; misfortune; a check or defeat; as, the enemy met with a reverse.
The strange reverse of fate you see;I pitied you, now you may pity me.
By a reverse of fortune, Stephen becomes rich.
Reverse
The back side; as, the reverse of a drum or trench; the reverse of a medal or coin, that is, the side opposite to the obverse. See Obverse.
Reverse
A thrust in fencing made with a backward turn of the hand; a backhanded stroke.
Reverse
A turn or fold made in bandaging, by which the direction of the bandage is changed.
Reverse
To turn back; to cause to face in a contrary direction; to cause to depart.
And that old dame said many an idle verse,Out of her daughter's heart fond fancies to reverse.
Reverse
To cause to return; to recall.
And to his fresh remembrance did reverseThe ugly view of his deformed crimes.
Reverse
To change totally; to alter to the opposite.
Reverse the doom of death.
She reversed the conduct of the celebrated vicar of Bray.
Reverse
To turn upside down; to invert.
A pyramid reversed may stand upon his point if balanced by admirable skill.
Reverse
Hence, to overthrow; to subvert.
These can divide, and these reverse, the state.
Custom . . . reverses even the distinctions of good and evil.
Reverse
To overthrow by a contrary decision; to make void; to under or annual for error; as, to reverse a judgment, sentence, or decree.
Reverse
To return; to revert.
Reverse
To become or be reversed.
Reverse
A relation of direct opposition;
We thought Sue was older than Bill but just the reverse was true
Reverse
The gears by which the motion of a machine can be reversed
Reverse
An unfortunate happening that hinders of impedes; something that is thwarting or frustrating
Reverse
The side of a coin or medal that does not bear the principal design
Reverse
(American football) a running play in which a back running in one direction hands the ball to a back running in the opposite direction
Reverse
Turning in the opposite direction
Reverse
Change to the contrary;
The trend was reversed
The tides turned against him
Public opinion turned when it was revealed that the president had an affair with a White House intern
Reverse
Turn inside out or upside down
Reverse
Rule against;
The Republicans were overruled when the House voted on the bill
Reverse
Annul by recalling or rescinding;
He revoked the ban on smoking
Lift an embargo
Vacate a death sentence
Reverse
Directed or moving toward the rear;
A rearward glance
A rearward movement
Reverse
Reversed (turned backward) in order or nature or effect
Reverse
Of the transmission gear causing backward movement in a motor vehicle;
In reverse gear
