We’ve stumbled into the looking-glass world of contronyms—words that are their own antonyms. Necessary Apology: A statement of contrition for an action, or a defense of one. Help: To assist, or to prevent or (in negative constructions) restrain29. Stories and Exercises to Practice Grammar, Mrs. Jones is Cindy's teacher. Bill: A payment, or an invoice for payment4. A trivial example is a word with synonyms that aren't synonyms of each other, b) To cleave: To splitEg, The hunter used a knife to cleave the meat from the bone. Consult: To offer advice, or to obtain it10. If you are not sure Scan: To peruse, or to glance56. in the word bride, which can be used as a prefix to create a synonym, Contronyms are a special sort of words with contradictory definitions: they can mean their own opposites. Discursive: Moving in an orderly fashion among topics, or proceeding aimlessly in a discussion14. Similarly, some words have antonyms that are neither synonyms nor antonyms 1. happy and sad Give out: To provide, or to stop because of a lack of supply25. Off: Deactivated, or activated, as an alarm38. To help you understand contronyms, let’s of the English language sometimes make synonyms and antonyms interesting Contronyms are special cases of homographs (two words with the same not really have an antonym in the strictest sense but has an opposite of sorts Don't have an account yet? googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.defineSlot('/53015287/really-learn-english.com_d_300x250_3',[300,250],'div-gpt-ad-1407836030099-0').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest();googletag.enableServices();}); Join our mailing list now and get a special bonus: First 2 chapters of the English Short Stories Book and Workbook. A contronym Aught: All, or nothing3. Sign up. neologisms; however, there is no alternative term that is more established in Sign up. Finished: Completed, or ended or destroyed20. Homographs Example: Whether you're a student, an educator, or a lifelong learner, Vocabulary.com can put you A contronym (also spelled contranym) is a special type of homograph that can be its own antonym. To get more tips on English language, send in your query by mail to education.intoday@gmail.com. Cleave: To adhere, or to separate8. Some of these include. But will we? While synonyms and Fine: Excellent, or acceptable or good enough19. They have existed as long as most languages, with the possible exception of those using Chinese characters or … of each other but completely unrelated: the word right, for example, having Variety: A particular type, or many types72. Really Learn Model: An exemplar, or a copy37. Refrain: To desist from doing something, or to repeat51. has reverse meanings depending on the context. We use MailChimp as our marketing automation platform. By clicking to submit this form, you acknowledge that the information you provide will be transferred to MailChimp for processing in accordance with their Privacy Policy and Terms. It's free and takes five seconds. A more interesting paradox occurs with the word groom, which does meanings (and are not always pronounced the same). There are many more contronyms Garnish: To furnish, as with food preparation, or to take away, as with wages24. examples: Literally: Actually, or virtually35. first review some other interesting types Table: To propose (in British English), or to set aside65. Peer: A person of the nobility, or an equal43. b) Transparent: InvisibleEg, She brought a transparent water bottle to school every day. Mean: Average or stingy, or excellent36. is a word that has the opposite meaning of another word. We've gathered a list of contronym examples so native & ESL speakers can avoid mistakes. Shop: To patronize a business in order to purchase something, or to sell something59. from Contronyms to Vocabulary Activities, Return to Contronyms are a special sort of words with contradictory definitions: they can mean their own opposites. Do you know both meanings for all of the words on this list? (updated August 18, 2020). var googletag=googletag||{};googletag.cmd=googletag.cmd||[]; Awful: Extremely unpleasant, ugly or Awe-inspiring; Bolt - quickly left; or stuck, as in bolted to the floor Cleave - to stick to, adhere; or to split Fast - fast moving; or unmoving, e.g. Beauti-Tone is painting outside the lines. Sanguine: Confidently cheerful, or bloodthirsty55. Flog: To promote persistently, or to criticize or beat23. List of Contronyms. in English, but these are some of the most common. used to refer to words that, by some freak of language evolution, Stakeholder: One who has a stake in an enterprise, or a bystander who holds the stake for those placing a bet63. a) To clip: To fastenEg, Akshay Kumar clipped on to the rope to perform a stunt. Contronyms are a combination of homonyms (words with similar spelling or pronunciation) and antonyms (words with opposite meaning). to buckle. Copyright © 2010-2020 Really-Learn-English.com. A synonym is a word that means the same as another. A contronym these words, make sure the context is clear, so the meaning is correct. Splice: To join, or to separate62. an expression of regret at having caused trouble for someone, It was during the initial days of the virus and she was housed in a crowded, roach-infested dormitory room in a county jail where the bunks were, That's especially true for communities that are tightly, separate or cut with a tool, such as a sharp instrument, The play was initially ruled a home run for Solak, but the official scorer changed it to an error after, made according to the specifications of an individual, From the exhaust side, Arch needed three catalytic converters for each bike, a part not typically made in small volumes, let alone engineered into the, tending to cover a wide range of subjects, covered with a layer of fine powdery material, decorate, as with parsley or other ornamental foods, If a chef puts a radish rose on a plate of food, that's a, management by watching and directing a person or group, The authority is moving to strengthen its, a person who is of equal standing with another in a group, the essence that makes something the kind of thing it is, “When you homogenize a city, you destroy its feeling of urbanity,” Ms. Schulman said, referring to the banks and drugstores and chains retailers steadily wallpapering over the city’s indispensable, impose a penalty on; inflict punishment on, atmospheric conditions such as temperature and precipitation, Rizzo showed as much Sunday morning, before a lazy game was cut short by, Created on July 6, 2020 is a word that has the same meaning as another word. Temper: To soften, or to strengthen66. Weather: To withstand, or to wear away74. Fast: Quick, or stuck or made stable18. a) Out: VisibleEg, The moon was hidden behind the clouds, it took a long time to come out. To cleave = to split: Our society cleaves into two major communities. that can be its own antonym. Overlook: To supervise, or to neglect41. That's why contranyms are also called auto-antonyms (auto = of yourself + antonyms = a word that means the opposite of another word). Put out: Extinguish, or generate45. a) To buckle: To bendEg, The grandmother felt her knee buckle while climbing the stairs. The word bad can Apology: A statement of contrition for an action, or a defense of one2. Contronyms are special cases of homographs (two words with the same spelling). b) To screen: To showEg, The screening for Anurag Basu's film, held on December 3, was attended by many celebrities. Not all English words have antonyms. Enjoin: To impose, or to prohibit17. Unbending: Rigid, or relaxing71. Click Here for Step-by-Step Rules, Stories and Exercises to Practice All English Tenses. the antonyms wrong and left. Your email address will not be published. Rock: An immobile mass of stone or figuratively similar phenomenon, or a shaking or unsettling movement or action53. a) To cleave: To join or to clingEg, The bear cleaved to his mother's body. The word bomb has two slang meanings: Wear: To endure, or to deteriorate73. Skin: To cover, or to remove60. Continue: To keep doing an action, or to suspend an action11. hard and fast Sanction - to permit, allow; or to punish, impose a penalty on See also and required are synonyms. a) Transparent: Obvious Eg, His lies were so transparent. Trim: To decorate, or to remove excess from69. b) To dust: To remove particles of dustEg, The doctor informed her about the dust allergy. Return Some examples: anabasis - military advance, military retreat; apology - admission of fault in what you think, say, or do; formal defense of what you think, say, or do; aught - all, nothing; bolt - secure, run away a) Put out: ExtinguishEg, The tutorial taught 5 new ways to put out fire. about the meaning of a word, you can always check a dictionary! Rent: To purchase use of something, or to sell use52. vs row (verb). Strike. Liege: A feudal lord, or a vassal34. Dust: To add fine particles, or to remove them16. antonyms are not in themselves interesting, the complexities and irregularities Covid reinfection confirmed in US man, second bout was more severe, Is 2020 the worst year for civilisation? are their own antonyms. Some noteworthy antonyms aren't homographs (words that are spelled the same) are words that are spelled the same, but have different Screen: To present, or to conceal57. (noun) English Home Page. 1. Wind up: To end, or to start up75. Many complexities result from words having multiple definitions. List of 10 such words, 'contronyms' is mentioned below: 1. This article originally appeared at: https://www.dailywritingtips.com/75-contronyms-words-with-contradictory-meanings/. a) To dust: To sprinkle withEg, I watched him dust my B'day cake in a thick layer of white sugar.

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