Autoantonyms

Auto-antonym has Greek roots meaning a word that is the opposite of itself. They have variously been called contranyms, contronyms, antilogies, Janus words (after the two-faced Greek mythical figure, from which "January" also derives), and enantiodromes.

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 of how such contradictory meanings can come about.

adumbrate

verb • to clarify

• to cast a shadow over aught

noun • anything

• nothing bill

noun • invoice (e.g. in a restaurant)

• money; banknote bolt

verb • to secure in place

• to dash away suddenly bound

adj./verb • restrained (e.g. 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 (e.g. 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 (e.g. when cleaning)

• to sprinkle fine particles onto fast

adverb • fixed firmly in place

• moving quickly; speedy 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 (e.g. in sport)

• disadvantage; disability hold up

verb • to support; cope

• to hinder; delay impregnable

adjective • impossible to enter (e.g. 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 (e.g. "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 (e.g. "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 (e.g. in Physics)

• very large (e.g. "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; authorise

• 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 • to cover with a skin

• to remove the skin splice

verb • to join together

• to cut in two strike

verb • to miss (e.g. in baseball)

• to hit; collide with table

verb • to propose; suggest

• to postpone; shelve temper

verb • to soften; mollify

• to strengthen (e.g. a metal) trim

verb • to cut pieces off (e.g. fingernails)

• to add to; ornament weather

verb • to withstand; stand up to

• to wear away wind up

verb • to start; prepare

• to end; conclude