Home » Writing & Publishing » Word Play » They say contronyms, you say antagonyms

They say contronyms, you say antagonyms

© Sandra Linville

In last week's article, I discussed two questions from readers and as promised, this article will cover a third question.

A reader sent the following e-mail: "Words that also mean their opposite. Can you give me a couple of examples? What is the term for that kind of word? NPR had a whole group a few weeks ago, but I failed to copy any down. Now I can't think of even one. Thanks."

What words are their own antonyms? Interesting question. I found a discussion in the Word Fugitives archive about words with diametrical meanings.

I also think the reader had heard the discussion on NPR's Car Talk puzzler. These words which include cleave, overlook, anathema, anabasis, etc. are called auto-antonyms, antagonyms, or contronyms. Whatever you choose to call them, these words are divided into homographs, words with the same spelling, and homophones, words with the same pronunciation.

Both Richard Lederer and Bill Bryson call the words contronyms. Lederer used the term "contronyms" in his book, Crazy English. In Bill Bryson's book, From The Mother Tongue : English & How It Got That Way he writes: "Sometimes, just to heighten the confusion, the same word ends up with contradictory meanings. This kind of word is called a contronym. Sanction, for example, can either signify permission to do something or a measure forbidding it to be done. Cleave can mean cut in half or stick together. A sanguine person is either hotheaded and bloodthirsty or calm and cheerful. Something that is fast is either stuck firmly or moving quickly. A door that is bolted is secure, but a horse that has bolted has taken off. If you wind up a meeting you finish it; if you wind up a watch you start it. To ravish means to rape -- or to enrapture. Quinquennial describes something that lasts for five years or happens only once in five years. Trying one's best is a good thing, but trying one's patience is a bad thing. A blunt instrument is dull, but a blunt remark is pointed."

At Jim Ellis's web page, The Heteronym Home Page, he includes a web page of what he calls antagonyms at The Antagonym Page Ellis also includes several antagonistic phrases which if acknowledged literally are now known for the opposite meaning. Ellis has a pretty comprehensive list and will add more words if you want to contribute.

Some antagonyms or contronyms are anabasis (which can mean military advance versus retreat), apparent (unclear or obvious), buckle (to fasten versus to yield or surrender), clip (to grip tightly versus to fasten with or as with a clip or to cut); dust (to wipe dust from furniture as opposed to sprinkle with powder or dust as dust for fingerprints or dust plants with insecticide), trim (to decorate versus adorn or to remove), discursive (rambling or proceeding by reasoning), and oversight (error due to carelessness or watchful care).

The copyright of the article They say contronyms, you say antagonyms in Word Play is owned by . Permission to republish They say contronyms, you say antagonyms in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.