Skip to content

contrer

to counter, to oppose

verb kohn-TREH Less Common

Usage Note

Contrer means to counter an action, argument, or move — common in sports, chess, and debate. In card games, contrer is to double an opponent's bid. It is less formal than contrecarrer ('to thwart') and more direct than s'opposer à. The noun contre itself is used in fixed phrases like le pour et le contre ('the pros and cons').

Examples

"Il a réussi à contrer l'attaque adverse."

Natural Translation

He managed to counter the opposing attack.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore French by topic