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    75 Contronyms (Words With Contradictory Meanings)

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    sogunmola
    The document lists 75 English words that have contradictory meanings depending on the context. These words are called "contronyms" or "autoantonyms". Some examples provided include "cleave" which can mean to adhere or to separate, "fast" which can mean quick or stuck, and "left" which can mean remained or departed. The list of 75 contronyms is intended to illustrate the interesting phenomenon of words having opposite meanings based on how they are used in different contexts.

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    75 Contronyms (Words With Contradictory Meanings)

    Uploaded by

    sogunmola
    1K views4 pages
    The document lists 75 English words that have contradictory meanings depending on the context. These words are called "contronyms" or "autoantonyms". Some examples provided include "cleave" which can mean to adhere or to separate, "fast" which can mean quick or stuck, and "left" which can mean remained or departed. The list of 75 contronyms is intended to illustrate the interesting phenomenon of words having opposite meanings based on how they are used in different contexts.

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    75 Examples of Contronyms and their meanings

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    The document lists 75 English words that have contradictory meanings depending on the context. These words are called "contronyms" or "autoantonyms". Some examples provided include "cleave" which can mean to adhere or to separate, "fast" which can mean quick or stuck, and "left" which can mean remained or departed. The list of 75 contronyms is intended to illustrate the interesting phenomenon of words having opposite meanings based on how they are used in different contexts.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    1K views4 pages

    75 Contronyms (Words With Contradictory Meanings)

    Uploaded by

    sogunmola
    The document lists 75 English words that have contradictory meanings depending on the context. These words are called "contronyms" or "autoantonyms". Some examples provided include "cleave" which can mean to adhere or to separate, "fast" which can mean quick or stuck, and "left" which can mean remained or departed. The list of 75 contronyms is intended to illustrate the interesting phenomenon of words having opposite meanings based on how they are used in different contexts.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 4
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    The passage discusses words that can have opposite meanings depending on their context, known as contronyms or autoantonyms. It provides a list of 75 examples of such words with their different meanings explained.

    Some examples of contronyms mentioned include apologize, bolt, clip, continue, dust, fast, fine, go, let, mean, off, out, oversee, put, quite, rock, sanction, skin, strike, table, weather and wind.

    Contronyms are unique because their meaning can be either the direct opposite or something contradictory based on the context used. Most words only have one set definition.

    75 Contronyms (Words with Contradictory Meanings) 8/17/18, 7'09 AM

    75 Contronyms (Words with


    Contradictory Meanings)
    The English language includes an interesting category of words and phrases
    called contronyms (also spelled contranyms, or referred to as autoantonyms)
    — terms that, depending on context, can have opposite or contradictory
    meanings. When you use these words, be sure the context clearly identifies
    which meaning is intended:

    1. Apology: A statement of contrition for an action, or a defense of one


    2. Aught: All, or nothing
    3. Bill: A payment, or an invoice for payment
    4. Bolt: To secure, or to flee
    5. Bound: Heading to a destination, or restrained from movement
    6. Buckle: To connect, or to break or collapse
    7. Cleave: To adhere, or to separate
    8. Clip: To fasten, or detach
    9. Consult: To offer advice, or to obtain it
    10. Continue: To keep doing an action, or to suspend an action
    11. Custom: A common practice, or a special treatment
    12. Dike: A wall to prevent flooding, or a ditch
    13. Discursive: Moving in an orderly fashion among topics, or proceeding
    aimlessly in a discussion
    14. Dollop: A large amount (British English), or a small amount
    15. Dust: To add fine particles, or to remove them
    16. Enjoin: To impose, or to prohibit
    17. Fast: Quick, or stuck or made stable
    18. Fine: Excellent, or acceptable or good enough
    19. Finished: Completed, or ended or destroyed

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    75 Contronyms (Words with Contradictory Meanings) 8/17/18, 7'09 AM

    20. First degree: Most severe in the case of a murder charge, or least severe
    in reference to a burn
    21. Fix: To repair, or to castrate
    22. Flog: To promote persistently, or to criticize or beat
    23. Garnish: To furnish, as with food preparation, or to take away, as with
    wages
    24. Give out: To provide, or to stop because of a lack of supply
    25. Go: To proceed or succeed, or to weaken or fail
    26. Grade: A degree of slope, or a horizontal line or position
    27. Handicap: An advantage provided to ensure equality, or a disadvantage
    that prevents equal achievement
    28. Help: To assist, or to prevent or (in negative constructions) restrain
    29. Hold up: To support, or to impede
    30. Lease: To offer property for rent, or to hold such property
    31. Left: Remained, or departed
    32. Let: Allowed, or hindered
    33. Liege: A feudal lord, or a vassal
    34. Literally: Actually, or virtually
    35. Mean: Average or stingy, or excellent
    36. Model: An exemplar, or a copy
    37. Off: Deactivated, or activated, as an alarm
    38. Out: Visible, as with stars showing in the sky, or invisible, in reference to
    lights
    39. Out of: Outside, or inside, as in working out of a specific office
    40. Overlook: To supervise, or to neglect
    41. Oversight: Monitoring, or failing to oversee
    42. Peer: A person of the nobility, or an equal
    43. Presently: Now, or soon
    44. Put out: Extinguish, or generate
    45. Puzzle: A problem, or to solve one

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    75 Contronyms (Words with Contradictory Meanings) 8/17/18, 7'09 AM

    46. Quantum: Significantly large, or a minuscule part


    47. Quiddity: Essence, or a trifling point of contention
    48. Quite: Rather (as a qualifying modifier), or completely
    49. Ravel: To entangle, or to disentangle
    50. Refrain: To desist from doing something, or to repeat
    51. Rent: To purchase use of something, or to sell use
    52. Rock: An immobile mass of stone or figuratively similar phenomenon, or
    a shaking or unsettling movement or action
    53. Sanction: To approve, or to boycott
    54. Sanguine: Confidently cheerful, or bloodthirsty
    55. Scan: To peruse, or to glance
    56. Screen: To present, or to conceal
    57. Seed: To sow seeds, or to shed or remove them
    58. Shop: To patronize a business in order to purchase something, or to sell
    something
    59. Skin: To cover, or to remove
    60. Skinned: Covered with skin, or with the skin removed
    61. Splice: To join, or to separate
    62. Stakeholder: One who has a stake in an enterprise, or a bystander who
    holds the stake for those placing a bet
    63. Strike: To hit, or to miss in an attempt to hit
    64. Table: To propose (in British English), or to set aside
    65. Temper: To soften, or to strengthen
    66. Throw out: To dispose of, or to present for consideration
    67. Transparent: Invisible, or obvious
    68. Trim: To decorate, or to remove excess from
    69. Trip: A journey, or a stumble
    70. Unbending: Rigid, or relaxing
    71. Variety: A particular type, or many types
    72. Wear: To endure, or to deteriorate

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    75 Contronyms (Words with Contradictory Meanings) 8/17/18, 7'09 AM

    73. Weather: To withstand, or to wear away


    74. Wind up: To end, or to start up
    75. With: Alongside, or against

    https://www.dailywritingtips.com/75-contronyms-words-with-contradictory-meanings/ Page 4 of 4

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