as in outline
a line that traces the outer limits of an object or surface a car with flowing contours

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the noun contour differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of contour are outline, profile, and silhouette. While all these words mean "the line that bounds and gives form to something," contour stresses the quality of an outline or a bounding surface as being smooth, jagged, curving, or sharply angled.

a car with flowing contours

In what contexts can outline take the place of contour?

The meanings of outline and contour largely overlap; however, outline applies to a line marking the outer limits or edges of a body or mass.

traced the outline of his hand

When might profile be a better fit than contour?

Although the words profile and contour have much in common, profile suggests a varied and sharply defined outline against a lighter background.

a portrait of her face in profile

Where would silhouette be a reasonable alternative to contour?

The words silhouette and contour are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, silhouette suggests a shape especially of a head or figure with all detail blacked out in shadow leaving only the outline clearly defined.

photograph in silhouette against a bright sky

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of contour Johnson had been meeting with Vice President-elect J.D. Vance and James Braid, the incoming legislative director for Trump, to discuss the contours of a deal, with talks involving House GOP leaders from every ideological faction. David Sivak, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 19 Dec. 2024 In this void, machines, animals, and humans probe the contours of its absence in search of water. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2024 Few monogamous couples, that is, get down to the brass tacks of chalking the contours—or, rather, the borders—of their coupledom, including those inclined to discuss their transition to exclusivity. Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2024 Yet the ultimate contours of Trump’s trade war remain opaque. Peter E. Harrell, Foreign Affairs, 19 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for contour 

Thesaurus Entries Near contour

Cite this Entry

“Contour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contour. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

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