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ON THE CONTRARY
I. (adverb)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Contrary to expectations
Example:
he didn't stay home; on the contrary, he went out with his friends
Synonyms:
contrarily; contrariwise; on the contrary; to the contrary
Classified under:
Context examples:
Here, on the contrary, were nothing but naked rocks, poor pasture, and savage, stone-strewn wastes.
(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
On the contrary, to my mind nothing could be more clear.
(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
On the contrary, said Holmes, it is the brightest rift which I can at present see in the clouds.
(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
On the contrary, I think a young man might be very safely recommended to take Mr. Elton as a model.
(Emma, by Jane Austen)
On the contrary, there is something pleasing about his mouth when he speaks.
(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)
On the contrary, every friend must be made still more her friend by them.
(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)
On the contrary, a large majority of the boys (especially the smaller ones) were visited with similar instances of notice, as Mr. Creakle made the round of the schoolroom.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
On the contrary, his austere face was even more severe than usual as he commented upon the things that I had done and the things that I had not.
(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
On the contrary, all the URI knockout mice died from gastrointestinal syndrome.
(New Way Discovered for Protecting against High-Dose Radiation Damage, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)
But, on the contrary, their conversation was very grave, and filled out with many little bows, and opening and shutting of snuff-boxes, and flickings of laced handkerchiefs.
(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
