MEANING
1. To balance or offset a weight or physical force with an opposing one.
2. To balance or offset an influence, interest, or power with another.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- counterpoise a weight
- counterpoised forces
On the page
A concealed weight counterpoised the heavy panel.
The opposing forces were counterpoised around the central support.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- counterpoise
- Past tense
- counterpoised
- Past participle
- counterpoised
- Present participle
- counterpoising
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- counterpoise
- Present continuous
- am/is/are counterpoising
- Present perfect
- have/has counterpoised
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been counterpoising
- Past
- counterpoised
- Past continuous
- was/were counterpoising
- Past perfect
- had counterpoised
- Past perfect continuous
- had been counterpoising
- Future
- will counterpoise
- Future continuous
- will be counterpoising
- Future perfect
- will have counterpoised
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been counterpoising
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: counterpoise; counterpoises; counterpoised; counterpoised; counterpoising Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: counterpoises.
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