The manager balanced the strength of his team against that of their opponent and sighed.
Source: tatoeba (20995)
Opponent
/əˈpəʊ.nənt/
Synonyms for "opponent" (121 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (25)
Strong matches (36)
Noun(17 words)
Related words (60)
Noun(32 words)
fractioushostileinimicalmatchnegativenoncooperativeobstinateopposedopposeropposingoppositeoppositionaloppositiveoppugnantoverthwartperverserebelrecalcitrantrefractoryrepugnant
Show 6 more words
Adjective(1 words)
Verb(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: adversary, antagonist, opposer, opposite, adversarial.
- Sentence evidence is available for opponent, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "opponent".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "opponent"
Keep "opponent" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "opponent" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "opponent", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "opponent" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
15 entriesactoragentcompetition termcontestantdescriptive termdoerentityfactorobstructionpersonrelational adjectiverelational termsports descriptorstance descriptorworker
More specific
13 entriesCollocations
10 entriesfierce opponentfriendly opponentopponent coachopponent defenseopponent in debateopponent stanceopponent strategyopponent teamstrong opponenttough opponent
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
3 entriessimilar
1 entriesTranslations
76 translations across 35 languages.
Ancient Greek
1 entries- ἀντίπαλος noun (one who opposes another)
Arabic
1 entries- مُنَاوِئ noun (one who opposes another)
Azerbaijani
1 entries- rəqib noun (one who opposes another)
Belarusian
4 entries- апане́нт noun (one who opposes another)
- апане́нтка noun (one who opposes another)
- праці́ўнік noun (one who opposes another)
- праці́ўніца noun (one who opposes another)
Bulgarian
3 entries- проти́вник noun (one who opposes another)
- проти́вница noun (one who opposes another)
- проти́вничка noun (one who opposes another)
Catalan
1 entries- oposant noun (one who opposes another)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 對方 /对方 noun (one who opposes another)
Czech
4 entries- odpůrce noun (one who opposes another)
- odpůrkyně noun (one who opposes another)
- protivnice noun (one who opposes another)
- protivník noun (one who opposes another)
Danish
1 entries- modstander noun (one who opposes another)
Dutch
1 entries- opponent noun (one who opposes another)
Esperanto
2 entries- kontraŭulo noun (one who opposes another)
- opoziciulo noun (one who opposes another)
Finnish
1 entries- vastustaja noun (one who opposes another)
French
1 entries- opposant noun (one who opposes another)
Georgian
3 entries- მეტოქე noun (one who opposes another)
- მოწინააღმდეგე noun (one who opposes another)
- ოპონენტი noun (one who opposes another)
German
2 entries- Gegner noun (one who opposes another)
- Gegnerin noun (one who opposes another)
Gothic
1 entries- 𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌸𐌾𐌹𐍃 noun (one who opposes another)
Hindi
2 entries- प्रतियोगी noun (one who opposes another)
- विरोधी noun (one who opposes another)
Hungarian
1 entries- ellenfél noun (one who opposes another)
Japanese
1 entries- 相手 noun (one who opposes another)
Korean
1 entries- 상대 noun (one who opposes another)
Latin
2 entries- adversarius noun (one who opposes another)
- obversus noun (one who opposes another)
Macedonian
2 entries- противник noun (one who opposes another)
- противничка noun (one who opposes another)
Māori
4 entries- hoa kakari noun (one who opposes another)
- hoariri noun (one who opposes another)
- wheinga noun (one who opposes another)
- whewheia noun (one who opposes another)
Plautdietsch
1 entries- Jäajna noun (one who opposes another)
Polish
4 entries- adwersarka noun (one who opposes another)
- adwersarz noun (one who opposes another)
- oponent noun (one who opposes another)
- oponentka noun (one who opposes another)
Russian
4 entries- оппоне́нт noun (one who opposes another)
- оппоне́нтка noun (one who opposes another)
- проти́вник noun (one who opposes another)
- проти́вница noun (one who opposes another)
Sanskrit
1 entries- विपक्ष noun (one who opposes another)
Serbo-Croatian
4 entries- pròtīvnica noun (one who opposes another)
- pròtīvnīk noun (one who opposes another)
- про̀тӣвница noun (one who opposes another)
- про̀тӣвнӣк noun (one who opposes another)
Slovak
4 entries- odporca noun (one who opposes another)
- odporkyňa noun (one who opposes another)
- protivník noun (one who opposes another)
- protivníčka noun (one who opposes another)
Slovene
2 entries- nasprotnica noun (one who opposes another)
- nasprotnik noun (one who opposes another)
Spanish
2 entries- antagonista noun (one who opposes another)
- oponente noun (one who opposes another)
Swedish
1 entries- motståndare noun (one who opposes another)
Thai
1 entries- คู่ต่อสู้ noun (one who opposes another)
Turkish
1 entries- rakip noun (one who opposes another)
Ukrainian
4 entries- опоне́нт noun (one who opposes another)
- опоне́нтка noun (one who opposes another)
- проти́вник noun (one who opposes another)
- проти́вниця noun (one who opposes another)
Sample sentences
29 total sentences available.
Mickey Conners made mincemeat of his opponent in the ring.
Source: tatoeba (32272)
Everything was allowed: You could kick, trip, hit, or bite your opponent.
Source: tatoeba (36782)
The communist gave in to his tough opponent at last.
Source: tatoeba (39916)
Showing 4 of 29 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "opponent"?
Closest matches include adversary, antagonist, opposer, opposite, adversarial.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "opponent"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.