Meaning & use
counter-balance
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To act against something with equal force or effect, so that it stays steady or balanced.
Grammar: Takes an object: counter-balance the weight.
Patterns
- counter-balance something
- counter-balance something with something
The heavy weight on the left counter-balances the lighter load on the right.
She counter-balanced her fear of heights with careful preparation.
The new tax was designed to counter-balance the rise in prices.
nouncountable
A weight or force that balances another, keeping something steady.
Grammar: Countable: a counter-balance, two counter-balances.
Patterns
- a counter-balance to something
- act as a counter-balance
The small country served as a counter-balance to its powerful neighbor.
The crane uses a heavy counter-balance at the back.
The two political parties act as a counter-balance to each other.
Word forms
| third person singular | counter-balances |
|---|---|
| past tense | counter-balanced |
| past participle | counter-balanced |
| present participle | counter-balancing |
| plural | counter-balances |
Common combinations
- counter-balance the effect
- The new policy was meant to counter-balance the effect of the old one.
- counter-balance the weight
- You need to counter-balance the weight on the other side.
- act as a counter-balance
- The small force acted as a counter-balance to the larger army.
- a counter-balance to something
- The independent committee is a counter-balance to the government's power.
Synonyms and how they differ
- offset
- Often used for costs or effects: 'offset the loss' is more common than 'counter-balance the loss'.
- compensate
- Focuses on making up for something, not just balancing: 'compensate for the damage'.
- counteract
- Suggests working against something to reduce its effect, often for negative things: 'counteract the poison'.
Opposites
Word family
- counterbalance noun
- Another spelling of the noun, without a hyphen.
- balance noun
- The state of being steady or equal.
- balanced adjective
- Having equal or correct proportions.
Commonly confused: counter-balance or counterweight?
counter-balance vs counterweight
A counterweight is a physical weight used to balance something, while counter-balance can be a force or action, not just a physical object.
Practice
The new safety measures were introduced to _____ the risks of the job.
Choose one answer.
After 'to' we need the base form of the verb, so 'counter-balance' is correct. 'Counter-balances' is third person singular, 'counter-balancing' is the -ing form, and 'counter-balanced' is past tense, none of which fit after 'to'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “counter-balance”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.