word
Literary
antithesis
an-TITH-ih-sis
ænˈtɪθɪsɪsListen
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Syllable breakdown
antithesis
Sounds like
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Dictionary meaning
A person or thing that is the direct opposite of another; also a rhetorical contrast.
History and origin
Greek — 'antitithenai' (to set against).
Examples
- Dickens opens A Tale of Two Cities with a series of brilliant antitheses — 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times'.
Common mispronunciations
AN-tih-thee-sisan-TITH-ee-sis
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