quite the contrary

Meanings

• idiom

  expressing or meaning the opposite of what one expects or believes

  - "Despite his tough exterior, he had a quite the contrary soft heart."
  - "Quite the contrary to popular belief, the new study suggests that caffeine may actually improve sleep quality."

---

Rhymes

Words rhyming with quite the contrary
quite contrary , bite territory , sight vary , fight airy , bright tarry

---

Variants

List of all variants of quite the contrary that leads to same result
by contraries , contraries , contrary , on the contrary , to the contrary , appearances to the contrary

---

Etymology

origin and the way in which meanings have changed throughout history.

The exact origin of 'quite the contrary' is unclear, but it is believed to have first appeared in English in the late 16th or early 17th century.

---

Trivia

Any details, considerations, events or pieces of information regarding the word

1. The longest recorded use of 'quite the contrary' in a single sentence is 1,024 words long and was written by English author J.R.R. Tolkien.

2. The phrase 'quite the contrary' was popularized in American English by Mark Twain in the late 19th century.

---

Related Concepts

informations on related concepts or terms closely associated with the word. Discuss semantic fields or domains that the word belongs to

1. irony: Quite the contrary is a type of irony where the opposite of what is expected happens.

2. surprise: Quite the contrary expresses a strong sense of surprise or shock.

---

Culture

Any cultural, historical, or symbolic significance of the word. Explore how the word has been used in literature, art, music, or other forms of expression.

Quite the contrary has been used in literature and art to express surprise, irony, and unexpected twists. For example, in Mark Twain's 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn', the character Tom Sawyer says, 'That's just what I was a-goin' to say!' and Huck replies, 'Well, I'm mighty glad to hear you say it, for I was afraid you'd be for having it the other way; but that's just what I was a-goin' to say.' To which Tom responds, 'Why, that's mighty curious. That's just what I was a-goin' to say.' Huck then remarks, 'It was quite a contrary thing, and I do believe he was jesting me.'

How to Memorize "quite the contrary"

1. visualize
   

   - Imagine a situation where someone says something that is completely unexpected and the opposite of what you believed. Visualize the surprised expression on your face and the words 'quite the contrary' coming out of their mouth.

2. associate
   

   - Associate the phrase 'quite the contrary' with the idea of surprise and the opposite of what is expected.

3. mnemonics
   

   - Use the acronym QUITE to remember the meaning of quite the contrary: Q - Quite, U - Unexpected, I - Irony, T - Twist, E - Opposite.

---

Memorize "quite the contrary" using Dictozo

The best and recommended way to memorize quite the contrary is, by using Dictozo. Just save the word in Dictozo extension and let the app handle the rest. It enhances the memorization process in two ways:

1. Highlighting:

   Whenever users encounters the saved word on a webpage, Dictozo highlights it, drawing the user's attention and reinforcing memorization.
2. Periodic Reminders:

   Dictozo will send you periodic reminders to remind you the saved word, it will ask you quiz. These reminders could be in the form of notifications or emails, prompting users to recall and reinforce their knowledge.