contrarian

[kuhn-trair-ee-uhn] / kənˈtrɛər i ən /

NOUN

one who takes an opposing view

Synonyms

STRONG

antagonist

WEAK

adversary debater opponent

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.

Citadel said that retail investors are increasingly contrarian by nature, and the recent selling during rallies supports this.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

That the Memory ETF has only been made available now is “a contrarian sell signal,” he said in a Thursday note.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 2026

This contrarian rebalancing tactic of selling top performers to pay for new bets adds “modest value over the long run,” writes Trivariate Research President Adam Parker.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

Kelly said she rejects the idea that Trump didn’t listen to contrarian voices regarding the operation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Given that there is some rough economic estimate of a stock’s value, regression to the mean can sometimes be used to justify a kind of contrarian strategy.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos