Against is a preposition meaning: in opposition to someone or something; in physical contact or collision with a surface; in contrast with a background; or moving or working in a direction that is unfavourable or contrary.
What Does Against Mean?
Against comes from Old English ongean ("opposite, towards, in return"), with the -st ending added in Middle English around 1200 — the same process that produced amongst, amidst, and whilst. The modern spelling has been standard since the 15th century.
Today against is one of the most frequently used prepositions in English. It carries four overlapping senses that learners need to master separately. The opposition sense is the most common in spoken and written English: "She voted against the bill." The contact sense describes physical position: "The ladder rested against the shed." The contrast sense is common in descriptive and literary writing: "Snow-white sails against a dark sky." The adverse direction sense often describes effort or difficulty: "Running against the wind."
Understanding all four senses is essential because learners frequently confuse against (opposition) with about (topic of discussion) or with (association). The preposition is never followed directly by a verb; it always governs a noun or noun phrase.
Example Sentences by Level
| Sentence | Level | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| She leaned her bike against the fence and went inside. | A2 | physical contact sense — lean against |
| Are you for or against the new school rules? | B1 | opposition sense — for or against as a fixed contrast |
| The mountains looked magnificent against the clear blue sky. | B1 | contrast / background sense — descriptive writing |
| Swimming against the current requires far more energy than most people expect. | B2 | adverse direction sense — idiomatic extension |
| Going against the grammar rules can sometimes produce interesting stylistic effects. | C1 | abstract opposition — academic / analytical register |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| go against | This decision goes against everything we agreed on. |
| be against | Many residents are against the proposed development. |
| vote against | Three committee members voted against the motion. |
| fight against | Doctors fight against antibiotic resistance every day. |
| work against | The tight deadline was working against the team. |
| lean against | He leaned against the wall and waited. |
| compete against | Our school will compete against three others in the finals. |
| guard against | You should guard against making assumptions too early. |
| discriminate against | It is illegal to discriminate against employees on the basis of age. |
| stand against | She has always stood against injustice in any form. |
Usage Notes
How to Use Against Correctly
Always follow against with a noun or noun phrase. Never place a bare infinitive or gerund directly after against: "I am against changing the rule" (not "against to change").
Against vs. with: Use against for competition or opposition ("play against a rival team"); use with for partnership ("play with your teammates").
Against vs. about: "I am against the plan" means you oppose it. "I have concerns about the plan" means you want to discuss it. Do not confuse opposition with topic.
Against in compound adjectives: Against can form hyphenated modifiers before a noun: "an against-the-odds victory", "an against-the-grain decision."
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
I am against to change this policy.
I am against changing this policy. (against + gerund, not against + infinitive)
She argued against of the proposal.
She argued against the proposal. (no preposition after against)
He is very against with her idea.
He is very much against her idea. (against is not followed by with)