contrarian

[kuhn-trair-ee-uhn] / kənˈtrɛər i ən /

NOUN

one who takes an opposing view

Synonyms

STRONG

antagonist

WEAK

adversary debater opponent

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I have reliably poor instincts about that sort of thing, so this will be a valuable contrarian signal.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

So there was no contrarian buy signal — defined as timers being more pessimistic than on at least 90% of prior trading sessions.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

That the Memory ETF has only been made available now is “a contrarian sell signal,” he said in a Thursday note.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 2026

The results show that the standard contrarian rebalancing strategy of selling winners and buying losers holds up well over time, but we are in anything but ordinary times.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

“I hadn’t really thought about it, but I guess I was a contrarian too.”

From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez