📒 opposing or disagreeing with somebody/something
- the fight against terrorism
- We're playing against the league champions next week.
- We were rowing against the current.
📒 not to the advantage or favour of somebody/something
- The evidence is against him.
- Her age is against her.
📒 close to, touching or hitting somebody/something
- Put the piano there, against the wall.
- The rain beat against the windows.
📒 in order to prevent something from happening or to reduce the damage caused by something
- an injection against rabies
- They took precautions against fire.
- Are we insured against theft?
📒 with something in the background, as a contrast
- His red clothes stood out clearly against the snow.
- (figurative) The love story unfolds against a background of civil war.
📒 used when you are comparing two things
- You must weigh the benefits against the cost.
- Check your receipts against the statement.
- What's the rate of exchange against the dollar?
📒 if you include money or costs against an amount that is owed, you use it to reduce the amount
- The accountant said I could offset all my travel costs against tax.
📒 if you borrow money against property that you own, you use the value of the property as a guarantee that you will repay the money
- They had borrowed a lot of money against the value of the house.
📒 in contrast with something
- They got 27 per cent of the vote as against 32 per cent at the last election.
📒 you are unlikely to succeed because the conditions are not good for you