Auto-Antonyms, Hacker News

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If you have read ourantonymspage, you will know that two words with opposite meanings are calledAntonyms. Soautoantonymsare words that are the opposite of themselves!

Auto-antonymhas Greek roots meaning a word that is the opposite of itself. They have variously been calledcontranyms,contronyms,antilogies,Janus words(after the two-faced Greek mythical figure, from which “January” also derives), andenantiodromes.

Below is a list af many such words, and their associated opposite (or near-opposite) meanings. See the bottom of the page for an explanation ofhow such contradictory meanings can come about.

• fixed firmly in place
• moving quickly; Speedy

• to cover with a skin
• to remove the skin

adumbrate (verb)	• to clarify • to cast a shadow over
aught noun	• anything • nothing
bill noun	• invoice (eg in a restaurant) • money; Banknote
bolt verb	• to secure in place • to dash away suddenly
bound adj./verb	• restrained (eg by rope) • to spring; leap
buckle verb	• to fasten • to come undone; give way; collapse
cleave verb	• to adhere; stick together • to cut apart; divide
clip verb	• to fasten together; hold tightly • to cut apart; cut off (eg with shears)
comprise verb	• to contain; include • to be composed of; consist of
custom adjective	• usual; normal • special; unique
dust verb	• to remove fine particles from (eg when cleaning) • to sprinkle fine particles onto
fast adverb
fine adjective	• just meets minimum standards; satisfactory • considerably better than average; excellent
give out verb	• to produce; distribute • to stop producing; cease functioning
handicap noun / verb	• advantage (eg in sport) • disadvantage; Disability
hold up verb	• to support; cope • to hinder; delay
impregnable adjective	• impossible to enter (eg of a fortress) • able to be impregnated
lease (verb)	• to lend ; rent out • to borrow; hire
left verb	• departed from • remaining
let verb	• to allow; grant permission • to prevent (eg “without let or hindrance”)
Literally adverb	• actually; really • figuratively; virtually
model noun	• archetype; example • copy; replica
moot adjective	• debatable; arguable • academic; irrelevant
overlook verb	• to examine; watch over • to fail to notice; miss
Oversight noun	• watchful care; supervision • overlooking; Omission
peer noun	• an equal; fellow (e.g. classmate) • a nobleman; person of higher rank
put adj./verb	• to begin to move hurriedly • stationary (eg “stay put”)
put out verb	• to generate; produce • to extinguish; put an end to
puzzle verb	• to pose a problem • to solve a problem
Quantum adjective	• very small (eg in Physics) • very large (eg “quantum leap”)
Ravel verb	• to tangle; complicate • to disentangle; separate
rent verb	• to lend; lease out • to borrow; hire
resign verb	• to quit; give up • to sign up again
root verb	• to remove completely • to become firmly established
sanction verb / noun	• to endorse; authorize • a punitive action
sanguine adjective	• murderous • cheerfully optimistic
scan verb	• to examine closely • to glance at hastily
screen verb	• to view; show • to conceal; Shield
seed verb	• to remove seeds from • to add seeds to
set verb	• to fix in place • to flow; move on
shank noun	• latter part of a period of time • early part of a period of time
skin verb
splice verb	• to join together • to cut in two
strike verb	• to miss (eg in baseball) • to hit; collide with
table verb	• to propose; suggest • to postpone; Shelve
temper verb	• to soften; mollify • to strengthen (eg a metal)
trim verb	• to cut pieces off (eg fingernails) • to add to; ornament
weather verb	• to withstand; stand up to • to wear away
wind up verb	• to start; prepare • to end; Conclude

The Origin of Autoantonyms

Bob Fradkin explains how one of the major classes of auto-antonym comes about:

Dustis part of a series of noun-verb conversions related to coverings of things. If the noun gives a covering that is natural to the thing, then the verb means remove the covering. If the covering is imposed, the verb means put the covering on.

So you getshell an egg,peel a banana, butpaint the furniture,wax the floor.

Dustis interesting because it can go either way:dust the furniture(a sort of natural covering to be removed) vs.dust the crops(put stuff on them that they didn’t have and wouldn’t unless humans put it there). I mentioned this in my English grammar bookStalking the Wild Verb Phrase.