0

If you argued your case well, the judge may rule "in your favor".

What's the opposite expression?

(I don't mean "dismiss your claim" or "reject your suit" etc. - I'm looking for the exact opposite expression; and I'm guessing it's not "in your disfavor"...)

Note this isn't really a legal expression even though it's used often (always?) in a legal context; so I'm not looking for a legal term or expression.

Improve this question
5
  • 5
    He rules against you, or he rules in favor of your opponent.
    – Hellion
    Commented Apr 14, 2016 at 17:41
  • @Hellion: "Rules against you" - more the rhetorical opposite of "rules for you". As for ruling in favor of my opponent - while that's a logical equivalent, it's not a rhetorical one...
    – einpoklum
    Commented Apr 15, 2016 at 8:26
  • Since "rules for you" and "rules in your favor" are in fact equivalent, "rules against you" can be the opposite of both.... I feel as if you're getting into the territory of "I need the opposite of bright, but it can't be dark, because that's the opposite of light."
    – Hellion
    Commented Apr 15, 2016 at 14:41
  • @Hellion: I want a more flowery figure of speech. You can tell me that none exists, and that's a valid answer.
    – einpoklum
    Commented Apr 15, 2016 at 14:43
  • A more flowery wording that might actually be used in some legal settings: "The judge rules adversely to your interests."
    – Sven Yargs
    Commented Apr 17, 2016 at 6:21

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
2

The judge may rule against you (or your motion):

to give a judgment against someone or something

[The Free Dictionary]

Improve this answer
6
  • "rule against you" is more like the opposite of "rule for you" (like "find for you" and "find against you"). I want that, you know, literary shade of the 'favor'.
    – einpoklum
    Commented Apr 14, 2016 at 19:16
  • @empokium wordreference.com/fren/donner%20raison%20à%20qqn; wordreference.com/fren/donner%20tort%20à
    – Elian
    Commented Apr 14, 2016 at 20:55
  • @Elian: The French is very interesting in this case. What's the opposite in French of "donner raison a" ?
    – einpoklum
    Commented Apr 15, 2016 at 7:15
  • @einpoklum "donner tort à"
    – Elian
    Commented Apr 15, 2016 at 7:47
  • @Elian A-ha! Maybe what I'm looking for is an expression using "tort", which is a word used in English, after all.
    – einpoklum
    Commented Apr 15, 2016 at 8:25
0

I feel as if I can say "against one's favour", but the symmetry isn't there (in vs. out, for vs. against).

Perhaps because we have an idiomatic phrase to start, the opposite must itself be idiomatic.

Improve this answer
1
  • "against the favor" is not the opposite of "in the favor". IMHO.
    – einpoklum
    Commented Apr 14, 2016 at 19:14

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.