Next vs. Opposite — What's the Difference?

Closely related or coming after.

Completely different or contrary.

Nearest or most immediate.

Facing or placed against.

Adjacent in position or location.

Placed or located directly across from something else or from each other

Nearest in space or position; adjacent

Facing the other way; moving or tending away from each other

Immediately following, as in time, order, or sequence

Being the other of two complementary or mutually exclusive things

In the time, order, or place nearest or immediately following

Altogether different, as in nature, quality, or significance

On the first subsequent occasion

Sharply contrasting; antithetical

The next person or thing

Growing in pairs on either side of a stem

In place or position, having nothing similar intervening; adjoining.

Arranged on the same radius as another part, as stamens and petals.

(obsolete) Most direct, or shortest or nearest in distance or time.

One that is opposite or contrary to another.

Nearest in order, succession, or rank; immediately following (or sometimes preceding) in order.

An opponent or antagonist.

Nearest in relationship. next of kin.}}

An antonym.

Denotes the one immediately following the current or most recent one.

In an opposite position

(of days of the week or months of the year) Closest in the future, or closest but one if the closest is very soon; of days, sometimes thought to specifically refer to the instance closest to seven days (one week) in the future.

Across from or facing

In a time, place, rank or sequence closest or following.

In a complementary dramatic role to

(conjunctive) So as to follow in time or sequence something previously mentioned.

Located directly across from something else, or from each other.

On the first subsequent occasion.

(botany) Of leaves and flowers, positioned directly across from each other on a stem.

On the side of; nearest or adjacent to; next to.

Facing in the other direction.

The one that follows after this one.

Of either of two complementary or mutually exclusive things.

Nearest in place; having no similar object intervening.

Extremely different; inconsistent; contrary; repugnant; antagonistic.

Nearest in time; as, the next day or hour.

Something opposite or contrary to something else.

Adjoining in a series; immediately preceding or following in order.

A person or thing that is entirely different from or the reverse of someone or something else; used to show contrast between two people or two things.

Nearest in degree, quality, rank, right, or relation; as, the next heir was an infant.

An opponent.

In the time, place, or order nearest or immediately succeeding; as, this man follows next.

An antonym.

Nearest in space or position; immediately adjoining without intervening space;

(mathematics) An additive inverse.

(of elected officers) elected but not yet serving;

In an opposite position.

Immediately following in time or order;

Facing, or across from.

At the time or occasion immediately following;

In a complementary role to.

Immediately following in sequence.

(television) On another channel at the same time.

Following in time.

Placed over against; standing or situated over against or in front; facing; - often with to; as, a house opposite to the Exchange; the concert hall and the state theater stood opposite each other on the plaza.

Situated on the other end of an imaginary line passing through or near the middle of an intervening space or object; - of one object with respect to another; as, the office is on the opposite side of town; - also used both to describe two objects with respect to each other; as, the stores were on opposite ends of the mall.

Applied to the other of two things which are entirely different; other; as, the opposite sex; the opposite extreme; antonyms have opposite meanings.

Extremely different; inconsistent; contrary; repugnant; antagonistic.

Set over against each other, but separated by the whole diameter of the stem, as two leaves at the same node.

One who opposes; an opponent; an antagonist.

That which is opposed or contrary in character or meaning; as, sweetness and its opposite; up is the opposite of down.

Two words that express opposing concepts;

A relation of direct opposition;

A contestant that you are matched against

Something inverted in sequence or character or effect;

Being directly across from each other; facing;

Of leaves etc; growing in pairs on either side of a stem;

Moving or facing away from each other;

The other one of a complementary pair;

Altogether different in nature or quality or significance;

Characterized by opposite extremes; completely opposed;

Directly facing each other;

Positioned directly across from.

Located on the other side.

In conflict or contrast with.

Opposite means directly across from something or completely different.

Yes, opposite implies a stark contrast or difference.

Next means immediately following in sequence or adjacent in position.

Yes, next often implies a logical follow-up or continuity.

Yes, next indicates physical closeness, like "next door."

Yes, next refers to the immediate following time, like "next week."

It means completely different or extreme ends of a spectrum.

Yes, next can mean the most immediate, like "next available."

Yes, opposite often emphasizes divergence or conflict.

e.g., The next item on the agenda is finance.

Yes, opposite indicates being across from a specific location.

e.g., They hold opposite views on climate change.

Yes, like opposite sides of a street.

Yes, like living in the next house.

Yes, such as the next phase in a project.