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.

But could that be a contrarian signal to buy stocks?

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

That’s because the mood on Wall Street in March and early April hasn’t been pessimistic enough to trigger a contrarian buy signal.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

So there was no contrarian buy signal — defined as timers being more pessimistic than on at least 90% of prior trading sessions.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

“We believe this combination of severe price compression, completely exhausted market breadth, and extreme pessimism is not a cause for panic, but rather a classic contrarian trading opportunity,” they wrote.

From Barron's • 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