au contraire

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Using less water didn’t affect the harvest, au contraire, it actually improved the grapes’ quality.

From Forbes • Oct. 2, 2014

If you’re the kind of consumer who likes to know where your food comes from, this might sound like a pretty good idea, but au contraire: This law is as flawed as they come.

From Slate • Jul. 24, 2014

The problem is not that it is so complicated that only three people understand it; au contraire, thousands claim to comprehend it and therein lies the difficulty: their "understandings" differ so markedly, one from another.

From The Guardian • Dec. 26, 2010

Humans have no fear of Twinkies and cheeseburgers - au contraire - although these foods have become more dangerous to our health than anything that skitters, flits or crawls.

From Washington Post • Oct. 25, 2010

At last the sound of spurred footsteps and clinking swords echoed along the corridor, but no noise or swearing; au contraire, a very polite double knock at the door.

From Hungarian Sketches in Peace and War Constable's Miscellany of Foreign Literature, vol. 1 by Jókai, Mór