opposite: applies to things that stand in sharp contrast or in conflict: they held ~ views on foreign aid.   contrast对比就是difference差异不同  (conflict冲突有2个意思，都叫冲突 1、不一致strong disagreement，如their stories conflict with each other他们的说法不一致(冲突)，conflict over the budget预算冲突，conflict of interest利益冲突 2、斗争a struggle for power, property, etc，如armed/military conflict武装/军事冲突，如白宫昨天声明the two heads of states discussed the need "to ensure competition does not veer into conflict"习拜两人讨论应确保竞争不会升级为冲突)


contradictory: applies to two things that completely negate each other so that if one is true or valid the other must be untrue or invalid: made ~ predictions about the stock market.        negate否定，来自词根NEG否定to deny, reject，拉丁动词negare表示'to say no'否定，形容词negative        true真实valid有效合理


contrary: implies extreme divergence or diametrical opposition of such things as opinions, motives, intentions, or ideas: ~ accounts of the late president's character.   contrary一般仅表示相反，和opposite类似，因此extreme极端的diametrical=complete, entire完全的仅标红作为参考没有译出，又如contrary answers/opinion/wind相反的答案/意见/风向


antithetical: stresses clear and unequivocally diametrical opposition: a law that is ~ to the basic idea of democracy.    equivocal模棱两可含糊其辞    antithetical强调exact opposite严格意义上的相反，即完全相反，如爱恨善恶民主独裁富裕贫穷


opposite相反: 指存在明显差异或冲突的，contradictory矛盾反驳: 指不但对立，而且相互否定的，contrary相反: 和opposite相同仅表相反，antithetical完全相反: 强调完全相反


记忆方法: 1）练习一下         "反"的本义是"(将物体)翻转过来"的意思，"又"表示手，"厂"表示山崖，两部分合用有"以手攀岩，下欲翻上"之义   表示1、本义翻转，如易如反掌上下反转辗转反侧  引申为2、与"正"相对，如反面相反反对违反反叛逆反

         2）相反的意思是相对立mean being so far apart as to be or seem irreconcilable.      irreconcilable指观点意见相对立，或矛盾冲突不可调和