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# counteract

verb (counteract, counteracts, counteracted, counteracting)

«counteract» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

To act against something so that it has less effect or no effect: «Exercise helps counteract sitting all day». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/counteract/#m1)

### In the lessons

In science and health, medicines counteract poisons or pain; an alkali counteracts (neutralises) an acid, as when toothpaste counteracts acids that harm teeth or bicarbonate soothes a bee sting. In everyday talk, people counteract bad habits with good ones. Phrases: «counteract the effects of», «counteract a poison».

### Examples

- The doctor gave him a medicine to counteract the poison. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/counteract/#x1)
- Toothpaste helps counteract the acids that damage your teeth. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/counteract/#x2)
- Drinking water counteracts the hot weather's drying effect. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/counteract/#x3)
- Planting trees can help counteract air pollution. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/counteract/#x4)
- A short walk can counteract hours of sitting at a screen. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/counteract/#x5)
- An alkali counteracts an acid. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/counteract/#x6)
- ‘They would have disappeared completely,’ said the pretended doctor, ‘if there did not exist something to counteract the effect. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/counteract/#x7)

### Note

Spelled as one word: counteract (counter + act). Stress on the last part: coun-ter-ACT. Noun: counteraction (rare). Similar: offset, neutralise, cancel out. «Counter» means «against», as in «counterattack».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «counteract» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/counteract/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«counteract» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/counteract.html) on Mova free.