Contronyms



Contronyms

The word contronym (Also the synonym antagonym) is used to refer to words that by some freak of language evolution, are their own antonyms. Both contronym and antagonym are relatively recent neologisms.
Contronyms are special cases of homographs (two words with the same spellings).

List of Contronyms

Anabasis

Military advance

Military retreat

Aught

All

Nothing

Bolt

Secure

Run away

Buckle

Fasten

By

Multiplication (e.g., a three by five matrix)

Division (e.g., Dividing eight by four)

Chuffed

Pleased

Annoyed

Cleave

Separate

Adhere

Clip

Fasten

Detach

Consult

Ask for advice

Give advice

Copemate

Partner

Antagonist

Custom

Usual

Special

Deceptively Smart

Smarter than one appears

Dumber than one appears

Dike

Wall

Ditch

Discursive

Proceeding coherently from topic to topic

Moving aimlessly from topic to topic

Dollop

A large amount

A small amount

Dust

Add fine particles

Remove fine particles

Enjoin

Prescribe

Prohibit

Fast

Quick

Unmoving

First Degree

Most severe (e.g., Murder)

Least severe (e.g., Burn)

Fix

Restore

Castrate

Flog

Criticize harshly

Promote aggressively

Garnish

Enhance (e.g., Food)

Curtail (e.g., Wages)

Give out

Produce

Stop production
Grade

Incline

Level

Handicap

Advantage

Disadvantage
Help

Assist

Prevent (e.g., ‘‘I Can’t help it if...’’)

Left

Remaining

Departed from

Liege

Sovereign lord

Loyal subject
Mean

Average

Excellent (e.g., ‘Plays a mean game’)

Off

Off

On (e.g., ‘The alarm went off’)

Off

Visible (e.g., Stars)

Invisible (e.g., Lights)

Out of

Outside

Inside (e.g., ‘Work out of one’s home’)

Oversight

Error

Care

Put out

Extinguish

Generate (e.g., Something putting out light)

Quiddity

Essence

Trifling point

List of Contronyms

Quite

Rather

Completely

Rent

Buy use of

Sell use of

Rinky-dink

Insignificant

One who frequents rinkworks

Sanction

Approve

Boycott

Sanguine

Hopeful

Murderous (Obsolete synonym for ‘Sanguinary’)

Screen

Show

Hide

Seed

Add Seeds (e.g., ‘To seed a field’)

Remove seeds (e.g., ‘To seed a tomato’)

Strike

Hit

Miss (In Baseball)

Table

Propose (In the United Kingdom)

Set aside (In the United States)

Transparent

Invisible

Obvious

Unbending

Rigid

Relaxing

Variety

One type (e.g., ‘This variety’)

Many types (e.g., ‘A variety’)

Wear

Endure through use

Decay through use

Weather

Withstand

Wear away

Wind up

End

Start up (e.g., A Watch)