Phrase guide

opposites attract

proverb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

proverb

Meaning 1

People are drawn to others who have different or complementary traits, personalities, or characteristics.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: vastakohdat täydentävät toisiaan — proverb
  • German: Gegensätze ziehen sich an — proverb
  • Italian: gli opposti si attraggono — proverb
  • Norwegian Bokmål: motsetningene tiltrekker hverandre — proverb
  • Polish: przeciwieństwa się przyciągają — proverb
  • Portuguese: os opostos se atraem — proverb
  • Romanian: extremele se atrag — proverb
  • Russian: противополо́жности притя́гиваются (protivopolóžnosti pritjágivajutsja) — proverb