Bad Dog Needs Rotten Home

THE NEW HOME FOR THE BEST STUFF ON THE WEB.

CONTRONYMS THAT ARE THEIR OWN OPPOSITES

Added on: 10th Apr 2016

 

 

CONTRONYMS

ARE WORDS WITH TWO OPPOSITE MEANINGS

 

FAST

Fast

Fast can signify “moving rapidly” as in “swimming fast”,

but it can also mean “fixed or unmoving” as in “holding fast”.

 

 

STONE

Stone

This verb has two meanings. If you stone a fruit, you remove

the stone from it. If you stone a person you throw stones at them.

 

 

SANCTION

Sanction

To sanction something can either mean to condone it

or to impose a penalty on it.

 

 

SEED

Seed

Like “stone”, “seed” can either imply adding or removing seeds.

If you seed a lawn you are adding seeds to the lawn but if

you seed a tomato you are removing seeds.

 

 

OFF

Off

Off can refer to something that is “deactivated” as in

“the light is turned off”, but it can also refer to

something that is activated as in “the alarm went off”.

 

 

SCREEN

Screen

This can mean to show a movie, or to hide something from view.

 

 

CLEAVE

Cleave

This can mean “to cling to” but it can also mean “to separate”.

 

 

OVERSIGHT

Oversight

Oversight can mean “supervision” (to look at from above) or

to overlook something (pass over without noticing)

 

 

RESIGN

Resign

These two words are actually pronounced differently. One means

to quit and the other means to sign up again (re-sign).

 


View by Month