CONTRONYMS THAT ARE THEIR OWN OPPOSITES
Added on: 10th Apr 2016
CONTRONYMS
ARE WORDS WITH TWO OPPOSITE MEANINGS
FAST
Fast can signify “moving rapidly” as in “swimming fast”,
but it can also mean “fixed or unmoving” as in “holding fast”.
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
To sanction something can either mean to condone it
or to impose a penalty on it.
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 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
This can mean to show a movie, or to hide something from view.
CLEAVE
This can mean “to cling to” but it can also mean “to separate”.
OVERSIGHT
Oversight can mean “supervision” (to look at from above) or
to overlook something (pass over without noticing)
RESIGN
These two words are actually pronounced differently. One means
to quit and the other means to sign up again (re-sign).
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