To Go Against
To Oppose, To Be Contrary To
intransitive verb, godan verb
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means opposite so the verb version is to oppose or to go against.
Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use the kun'yomi reading. You didn't learn that reading with this kanji, so here's a mnemonic to help you:
Just like when you play soccer (さか). You never play right, causing you to go against all things you're supposed to do and shoot goals into your own goalie's net.
時代精神に逆らうのは難しい。
It's difficult to go against the spirit of the times.
フグは流れに逆らって川を上って行くサーモンに感動を覚えた。
The fugu was impressed by the salmon swimming up the river against the current.
「うわ！お前目のとこに青たんできてるじゃん。」「そうなんだよ。昨日の夜お袋に逆らったら、こてんぱに殴られてさ。」
"Wow! You have a bruise above your eye." "Yeah, I disobeyed my mom last night and got the crap kicked out of me."