noun · neutral
opponent
UK/əˈpəʊnənt/US/əˈpoʊnənt/oPPO·nent
someone you compete against in a game, sport, argument or election
Examples
“In the semi-final she played a tough opponent and won in three sets.”
“He refused to speak to his political opponent after the debate.”
“Coaches study an opponent's tactics before a match.”
Band 8 sentence
“In elite sport, analysing an opponent’s tactical tendencies can be as important as individual skill.”
Collocations
- face an opponent
- defeat/beat an opponent
- opponent of (the policy)
- main opponent
Word family
Common mistakes
He is opponent in the final.→He is the opponent in the final.
She is opponent to the policy.→She is an opponent of the policy.
They are opponent team.→They are the opposing team / They are opponents.
Say it for a higher band
5rival→6competitor→7+opponent
Synonyms
competitor
rival
Easily confused
competitor
“Our biggest competitor lowered their prices last month.”
rival
“The rivalry between the two clubs goes back decades.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Sport & Exercise
Learn it with its set