contrarian
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contrarian
- /kənˈtɹɛə.ɹi.ən/ UK
- /kənˈtɹɛ.ɹi.ən/ US
- /ˌkɑnˈ-/ US
Rhymes with -ɛəɹiən, -ɛɹiən, -æɹiən
Where it comes from
From contrary + -an (suffix forming agent nouns; and meaning of or pertaining to forming adjectives), modelled after words like libertarian.
noun contrarians
-
A person who likes or tends to express a contradicting viewpoint, especially from one held by a majority of people, usually because of nonconformity or spite.
Christopher [Hitchens] is bored by the epithet contrarian, which has been trailing him around for a quarter of a century. What he is, in any case, is an autocontrarian: he seeks not just the most difficult position, but the most difficult position for Christopher Hitchens.
Opposite: slipstreamer
- A financial investor who tends to have an opinion of market trends at variance with most others. [T]o succeed as a contrarian, you have to be able to time trades in exactly the opposite direction of the majority. This means you have to move in when everyone else is fearful, and step back when everyone else is euphoric. This advice is easier to give than to follow, so contrarians are not just go
adjective more contrarian · most contrarian
- Liking or tending to express a contradicting viewpoint, especially from one held by a majority of people. The second part [of the book] explores the normative forms of adolescent resistance and contrarian behavior that vex parents and teachers alike. This discussion is within the context of chapters that look at the ways in which parenting and teaching for moral development can positively make use of th
- Having an opinion of market trends at variance with most others. Yet at the same time, 401(k) traders became more contrarian in their response to falling markets during the crisis. Therefore, the increased sensitivity to market volatility was offset, in part, by a tendency to 'buy on the dips' in response to falling markets.
Translations
Every language
noun person who likes or tends to express a contradicting viewpoint, especially from one held by a majority of people
| Español | contreras, contrera, gustarle llevar la contraria, anticonformista, inconformista |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 槓精 /杠精 gàngjīng, 槓頭 /杠头 gàngtóu |
| Français | anti-conformiste, contradicteur, rebroussier (Meridional French, especially Nîmes), rebroussière (Meridional French, especially Nîmes) |
| Deutsch | Querdenker, Querdenkerin, Querkopf |
| Italiano | bastian contrario |
| Ελληνικά | πνεύμα αντιλογίας pnévma antilogías |
adj liking or tending to express a contradicting viewpoint, especially from one held by a majority of people
| Deutsch | konträr |
|---|---|
| Italiano | controcorrente, fuori dal coro |
Talk about this word "contrarian." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/contrarian. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. contrarian. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/contrarian "contrarian." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/contrarian.Cite this
@misc{contrarian_2026,
title = {contrarian},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/contrarian},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
