75 Contronyms (Words with Contradictory Meanings) By Mark Nichol

The English language includes an interesting category of words and phrases called contronyms (also spelled contranyms, or referred to as autoantonyms) — terms that, depending on context, can have opposite or contradictory meanings. When you use these words, be sure the context clearly identifies which meaning is intended:

1. Apology: A statement of contrition for an action, or a defense of one

2. Aught: All, or nothing

3. Bill: A payment, or an invoice for payment

4. Bolt: To secure, or to flee

5. Bound: Heading to a destination, or restrained from movement

6. Buckle: To connect, or to break or collapse

7. Cleave: To adhere, or to separate

8. Clip: To fasten, or detach

9. Consult: To offer advice, or to obtain it

10. Continue: To keep doing an action, or to suspend an action

11. Custom: A common practice, or a special treatment

12. Dike: A wall to prevent flooding, or a ditch

13. Discursive: Moving in an orderly fashion among topics, or proceeding aimlessly in a discussion

14. Dollop: A large amount (British English), or a small amount

15. Dust: To add fine particles, or to remove them

16. Enjoin: To impose, or to prohibit

17. Fast: Quick, or stuck or made stable

18. Fine: Excellent, or acceptable or good enough

19. Finished: Completed, or ended or destroyed

20. First degree: Most severe in the case of a murder charge, or least severe in reference to a burn

21. Fix: To repair, or to castrate

22. Flog: To promote persistently, or to criticize or beat

23. Garnish: To furnish, as with food preparation, or to take away, as with wages

24. Give out: To provide, or to stop because of a lack of supply

25. Go: To proceed or succeed, or to weaken or fail

26. Grade: A degree of slope, or a horizontal line or position

27. Handicap: An advantage provided to ensure equality, or a disadvantage that prevents equal achievement

28. Help: To assist, or to prevent or (in negative constructions) restrain

29. Hold up: To support, or to impede

30. Lease: To offer property for rent, or to hold such property

31. Left: Remained, or departed

32. Let: Allowed, or hindered

33. Liege: A feudal lord, or a vassal

34. Literally: Actually, or virtually

35. Mean: Average or stingy, or excellent

36. Model: An exemplar, or a copy

37. Off: Deactivated, or activated, as an alarm

38. Out: Visible, as with stars showing in the sky, or invisible, in reference to lights

39. Out of: Outside, or inside, as in working out of a specific office

40. Overlook: To supervise, or to neglect

41. Oversight: Monitoring, or failing to oversee

42. Peer: A person of the nobility, or an equal

43. Presently: Now, or soon

44. Put out: Extinguish, or generate

45. Puzzle: A problem, or to solve one

46. Quantum: Significantly large, or a minuscule part

47. Quiddity: Essence, or a trifling point of contention

48. Quite: Rather (as a qualifying modifier), or completely

49. Ravel: To entangle, or to disentangle

50. Refrain: To desist from doing something, or to repeat

51. Rent: To purchase use of something, or to sell use

52. Rock: An immobile mass of stone or figuratively similar phenomenon, or a shaking or unsettling movement or action

53. Sanction: To approve, or to boycott

54. Sanguine: Confidently cheerful, or bloodthirsty

55. Scan: To peruse, or to glance

56. Screen: To present, or to conceal

57. Seed: To sow seeds, or to shed or remove them

58. Shop: To patronize a business in order to purchase something, or to sell something

59. Skin: To cover, or to remove

60. Skinned: Covered with skin, or with the skin removed

61. Splice: To join, or to separate

62. Stakeholder: One who has a stake in an enterprise, or a bystander who holds the stake for those placing a bet

63. Strike: To hit, or to miss in an attempt to hit

64. Table: To propose (in British English), or to set aside

65. Temper: To soften, or to strengthen

66. Throw out: To dispose of, or to present for consideration

67. Transparent: Invisible, or obvious

68. Trim: To decorate, or to remove excess from

69. Trip: A journey, or a stumble

70. Unbending: Rigid, or relaxing

71. Variety: A particular type, or many types

72. Wear: To endure, or to deteriorate

73. Weather: To withstand, or to wear away

74. Wind up: To end, or to start up

75. With: Alongside, or against

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