All 20 Uses of

contrary

in

The Secret Garden

Something of her contrariness came back to her as she paced the wall and looked over it at the tree-tops inside.†
p. 60.4 *

contrariness = disagreeableness

He sang it until the other children heard and laughed, too; and the crosser Mary got, the more they sang "Mistress Mary, quite contrary"; and after that as long as she stayed with them they called her "Mistress Mary Quite Contrary" when they spoke of her to each other, and often when they spoke to her.†
p. 8.7

He sang it until the other children heard and laughed, too; and the crosser Mary got, the more they sang "Mistress Mary, quite contrary"; and after that as long as she stayed with them they called her "Mistress Mary Quite Contrary" when they spoke of her to each other, and often when they spoke to her.†
p. 8.7

The children call her 'Mistress Mary Quite Contrary,' and though it's naughty of them, one can't help understanding it.†
p. 9.8

It was in this way Mistress Mary arrived at Misselthwaite Manor and she had perhaps never felt quite so contrary in all her life.†
p. 20.9

He had a surly old face, and did not seem at all pleased to see her—but then she was displeased with his garden and wore her "quite contrary" expression, and certainly did not seem at all pleased to see him.†
p. 30.6

If she had been an affectionate child, who had been used to being loved, she would have broken her heart, but even though she was "Mistress Mary Quite Contrary" she was desolate, and the bright-breasted little bird brought a look into her sour little face which was almost a smile.†
p. 31.7

Mary had worn her contrary scowl for an hour after that, but it made her think several entirely new things.†
p. 47.6 *

Mistress Mary forgot that she had ever been contrary in her life when he allowed her to draw closer and closer to him, and bend down and talk and try to make something like robin sounds.†
p. 57.5

She began to feel hot and as contrary as she had ever felt in her life.†
p. 88.5

She knew she felt contrary again, and obstinate, and she did not care at all.†
p. 88.9

Then Mary told him about Basil and his brothers and sisters in India and of how she had hated them and of their calling her "Mistress Mary Quite Contrary."†
p. 95.7

There doesn't seem to be no need for no one to be contrary when there's flowers an' such like, an' such lots o' friendly wild things runnin' about makin' homes for themselves, or buildin' nests an' singin' an' whistlin', does there?†
p. 96.1

Definitions:

(1) (contrary as in: a contrary idea)
different (perhaps opposite or mutually exclusive)

In formal logic, contrary propositions or contrary arguments describe two things that cannot both be true. They might be described as mutually exclusive. For example, a pet cannot be both a cat and a dog. It doesn't need to be either, but if it is one, it cannot be the other. So the statement that a pet is a cat and the statement that the same pet is a dog, are contrary statements.
(2) (contrary as in: a contrary personality)
disagreeable -- typically in reference to someone's personality
(3) (contrary to as in: contrary to)
in opposition to

You could also think of this as meaning, despite, or in spite of, or in conflict with; but since a common meaning of contrary is opposite, you many find it easiest to think of contrary to as in opposition to.
(4) (on the contrary as in: on the contrary)
an expression used to intensify denial of an idea

More rarely, on the contrary is used to oppose an idea contained in what was just said rather than to oppose what was literally said. Here is an example: "I will not pay you for the work. On the contrary, I may sue you for damages." Suing for damages does not oppose not paying, but it does oppose the idea of paying.
(5) (to the contrary as in: to the contrary)
with an opposite or different effect; or something with an opposite or different effect
(6) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)