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.

I have reliably poor instincts about that sort of thing, so this will be a valuable contrarian signal.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

The U.S. stock-market correction has more downside ahead, according to contrarian analysts.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 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