against
/əˈɡɛnst/
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: 5.68 in modern English
8
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
prep
In physical opposition to; in collision with.
prep
In physical contact with, so as to abut or be supported by.
prep
In front of; before (a background).
prep
In contrast or comparison with.
prep
In competition with, versus.
prep
Contrary to; in conflict with.
Example Sentences
- "It is hard work to swim against the current."
- "The rain pounds against the window."
- "Ivor had acquired more than a mile of fishing rights with the house ; he was not at all a good fisherman, but one must do something ; one generally, however, banged a ball with a squash-racket against a wall."
- "The ladder was leaning against the wall."
- "The puppy rested its head against a paw."
- "The kennel was put against the back wall."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Germanic *in Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰengʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *ganganąder.? Proto-Germanic *gagin Proto-Germanic *in gagin Proto-West Germanic *in gagin Old English onġēander. Middle English ayenes English against Formed from Middle English ayenes, agenes, againes (“in opposition to”), a southern variant of agen, or directly from again, either way with adverbial genitive singular ending -es; the parasitic -t was added circa 1350, probably by confusion with the superlative ending -est. By surface analysis, again + -st (excrescent ending). Cognate with Saterland Frisian juun (“against”), West Frisian tsjin (“against”), Dutch tegen (“against”), German Low German gegen (“against”), German gegen (“against”), Icelandic gegn (“against”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: ayenes
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /əˈɡɛnst/
- British English: /əˈɡɛnst/
Usage
Inflected Forms
againest (alternative, obsolete)
agaynest (alternative, obsolete)
agaynst (alternative, obsolete)
ageinest (alternative, obsolete)
ageinst (alternative, obsolete)
agenest (alternative, obsolete)
agenst (alternative, obsolete)
ageynest (alternative, obsolete)
ageynst (alternative, obsolete)
'gainst (alternative, poetic)
gainst (alternative, poetic)
agin (alternative, dialectal)