Meaning & use
counteract
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Meaning
verbtransitiveformal
To weaken or cancel the effect of something by acting against it.
Grammar: Always takes an object: counteract the effects of the poison.
Patterns
- counteract something
- counteract the effects of something
Antidotes counteract the effects of certain poisons.
The company launched a campaign to counteract the bad publicity.
Exercise can help counteract the stiffness of sitting all day.
Word forms
| third person singular | counteracts |
|---|---|
| past tense | counteracted |
| past participle | counteracted |
| -ing form | counteracting |
Common combinations
- counteract the effects
- A walk may counteract the effects of a long flight.
- counteract the trend
- The city hoped to counteract the trend of closing shops.
- counteract the poison
- The drug counteracts the poison in the blood.
- help counteract
- Vitamin C may help counteract tiredness.
- counteract a threat
- New laws aim to counteract the threat of fraud.
- counteract the damage
- Planting trees can counteract the damage from logging.
Synonyms and how they differ
- offset
- Offset means to balance one thing against another, often in numbers or costs, while counteract is more about opposing a force.
- neutralize
- Neutralize suggests removing the effect completely, whereas counteract may only reduce it.
- oppose
- Oppose can mean to disagree or fight against anything, but counteract refers to a specific effect.
- negate
- Negate is a stronger, more formal word for wiping out something entirely.
Opposites
Word family
- counteraction noun
- an action that opposes another
- counteractive adjective
- tending to oppose an effect
- counteractant noun
- something that opposes an effect, especially a drug
- act verb
- to do something
Commonly confused: counteract or counterattack? counteract or counteroffer?
counteract vs counterattack
A counterattack is an attack made in return, while to counteract is to reduce an effect.
counteract vs counteroffer
A counteroffer is a changed proposal in negotiation, unrelated to opposing an effect.
Practice
Which word could replace counteracts in: The medicine counteracts the poison?
Choose one answer.
Counteract means to work against an effect, so neutralizes fits. Reinforces would make the poison stronger, the opposite meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “counteract”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.