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A word that is its own antonym


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I am thinking of a word that has two opposite definitions. I know of one, and I wonder if anybody else knows another. The one I am thinking of is found in the Bible in the book of Genesis.

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I am thinking of a word that has two opposite definitions. I know of one, and I wonder if anybody else knows another. The one I am thinking of is found in the Bible in the book of Genesis.

Genesis 3:15

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

1. to deal a blow or stroke to (a person or thing), as with the fist, a weapon, or a hammer; hit.

2. Baseball. a pitch that is swung at and missed by the batter.

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[spoiler=who knew there were so many? (besides Google of course... ;) )]http://www.rinkworks.com/words/contronyms.shtml

anabasis - military advance, military retreat

apology - admission of fault in what you think, say, or do; formal defense of what you think, say, or do aught - all, nothing

bolt - secure, run away

by - multiplication (e.g., a three by five matrix), division (e.g., dividing eight by four)

chuffed - pleased, annoyed

cleave - separate, adhere

clip - fasten, detach

consult - ask for advice, give advice

copemate - partner, antagonist

custom - usual, special

deceptively smart - smarter than one appears, dumber than one appears

dike - wall, ditch

discursive - proceeding coherently from topic to topic, moving aimlessly from topic to topic

dollop - a large amount, a small amount

dust - add fine particles, remove fine particles

enjoin - prescribe, prohibit

fast - quick, unmoving

first degree - most severe (e.g., murder), least severe (e.g., burn)

fix - restore, castrate

flog - criticize harshly, promote aggressively

garnish - enhance (e.g., food), curtail (e.g., wages)

give out - produce, stop production

grade - incline, level

handicap - advantage, disadvantage

help - assist, prevent (e.g., "I can't help it if...")

left - remaining, departed from

liege - sovereign lord, loyal subject

mean - average, excellent (e.g., "plays a mean game")

off - off, on (e.g., "the alarm went off") out - visible (e.g., stars), invisible (e.g., lights)

out of - outside, inside (e.g., "work out of one's home")

oversight - error, care

pitted - with the pit in, with the pit removed

put out - extinguish, generate (e.g., something putting out light)

quiddity - essence, trifling point

quite - rather, completely

ravel - tangle, disentangle

rent - buy use of, sell use of

rinky-dink - insignificant, one who frequents RinkWorks

sanction - approve, boycott

sanguine - hopeful, murderous (obsolete synonym for "sanguinary")

screen - show, hide

seed - add seeds (e.g., "to seed a field"), remove seeds (e.g., "to seed a tomato")

skinned - with the skin on, with the skin removed

strike - hit, miss (in baseball)

table - propose (in the United Kingdom), set aside (in the United States)

transparent - invisible, obvious

unbending - rigid, relaxing

variety - one type (e.g., "this variety"), many types (e.g., "a variety")

wear - endure through use, decay through use

weather - withstand, wear away

wind up - end, start up (e.g., a watch)

with - alongside, against

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Here's another:

I predict that Tony Dungy will weigh his options for another year with the Colts and finally decide to resign.

Will he re-up for another season, or will he quit?

Everyone knew that one Manning would be watching the other on TV next week, right?

How about those Giants? :rolleyes:

Here's one for T.O. ... :( add a single tear coursing down the cheek.

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What about expressions that are their own antonyms? The meaning of the phrase "you don't say!" is explained as follows in the "Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English" (2006 edition): used to show you are surprised by what someone has told you - also often used when you are not at all surprised by what someone has told you.

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What about expressions that are their own antonyms? The meaning of the phrase "you don't say!" is explained as follows in the "Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English" (2006 edition): used to show you are surprised by what someone has told you - also often used when you are not at all surprised by what someone has told you.

im sure their are alo of sentences like that

like "Thanks alot" can actually be thanking someone or can be sarcastic and be saying someone did something wrong ^_^

Well there's a definite difference between sarcasam and a word that has two definitions that are complete opposites.

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I don't know if this fits the description: hot and cool are synonyms, but antonyms at the same time. They could mean popular (e.g. That's a hot dress! That's a cool dress!) or temperature, hot meaning warm and cool meaning cold. Those might be something totally different, but it's interesting.

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[spoiler=who knew there were so many? (besides Google of course... ;) )]http://www.rinkworks.com/words/contronyms.shtml

anabasis - military advance, military retreat

apology - admission of fault in what you think, say, or do; formal defense of what you think, say, or do aught - all, nothing

bolt - secure, run away

by - multiplication (e.g., a three by five matrix), division (e.g., dividing eight by four)

chuffed - pleased, annoyed

cleave - separate, adhere

clip - fasten, detach

consult - ask for advice, give advice

copemate - partner, antagonist

custom - usual, special

deceptively smart - smarter than one appears, dumber than one appears

dike - wall, ditch

discursive - proceeding coherently from topic to topic, moving aimlessly from topic to topic

dollop - a large amount, a small amount

dust - add fine particles, remove fine particles

enjoin - prescribe, prohibit

fast - quick, unmoving

first degree - most severe (e.g., murder), least severe (e.g., burn)

fix - restore, castrate

flog - criticize harshly, promote aggressively

garnish - enhance (e.g., food), curtail (e.g., wages)

give out - produce, stop production

grade - incline, level

handicap - advantage, disadvantage

help - assist, prevent (e.g., "I can't help it if...")

left - remaining, departed from

liege - sovereign lord, loyal subject

mean - average, excellent (e.g., "plays a mean game")

off - off, on (e.g., "the alarm went off") out - visible (e.g., stars), invisible (e.g., lights)

out of - outside, inside (e.g., "work out of one's home")

oversight - error, care

pitted - with the pit in, with the pit removed

put out - extinguish, generate (e.g., something putting out light)

quiddity - essence, trifling point

quite - rather, completely

ravel - tangle, disentangle

rent - buy use of, sell use of

rinky-dink - insignificant, one who frequents RinkWorks

sanction - approve, boycott

sanguine - hopeful, murderous (obsolete synonym for "sanguinary")

screen - show, hide

seed - add seeds (e.g., "to seed a field"), remove seeds (e.g., "to seed a tomato")

skinned - with the skin on, with the skin removed

strike - hit, miss (in baseball)

table - propose (in the United Kingdom), set aside (in the United States)

transparent - invisible, obvious

unbending - rigid, relaxing

variety - one type (e.g., "this variety"), many types (e.g., "a variety")

wear - endure through use, decay through use

weather - withstand, wear away

wind up - end, start up (e.g., a watch)

with - alongside, against

Did I get one that Google missed?

Incredible:

My wife is incredible. (great; amazing; wonderful)

My wife is incredible. (unbelievable; horrible)

And for the record, my wife is incredible, in every sense of the word.

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I am thinking of a word that has two opposite definitions. I know of one, and I wonder if anybody else knows another. The one I am thinking of is found in the Bible in the book of Genesis.

How bout Aloha

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For years I've asked people a similar question..."What two words that are homonyms (sound the same) are antonyms?" I currently know of only one example, maybe you guys will find another. Both words are in common usage.

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leeward

Because Leeward can mean in the direction facing the wind or the direction away of the wind. I say this because in the dictionary it says i think away from the wind but in the book The Cay i think they say that it's toward the wind.

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[spoiler=who knew there were so many? (besides Google of course... ;) )]http://www.rinkworks.com/words/contronyms.shtml

anabasis - military advance, military retreat

apology - admission of fault in what you think, say, or do; formal defense of what you think, say, or do aught - all, nothing

bolt - secure, run away

by - multiplication (e.g., a three by five matrix), division (e.g., dividing eight by four)

chuffed - pleased, annoyed

cleave - separate, adhere

clip - fasten, detach

consult - ask for advice, give advice

copemate - partner, antagonist

custom - usual, special

deceptively smart - smarter than one appears, dumber than one appears

dike - wall, ditch

discursive - proceeding coherently from topic to topic, moving aimlessly from topic to topic

dollop - a large amount, a small amount

dust - add fine particles, remove fine particles

enjoin - prescribe, prohibit

fast - quick, unmoving

first degree - most severe (e.g., murder), least severe (e.g., burn)

fix - restore, castrate

flog - criticize harshly, promote aggressively

garnish - enhance (e.g., food), curtail (e.g., wages)

give out - produce, stop production

grade - incline, level

handicap - advantage, disadvantage

help - assist, prevent (e.g., "I can't help it if...")

left - remaining, departed from

liege - sovereign lord, loyal subject

mean - average, excellent (e.g., "plays a mean game")

off - off, on (e.g., "the alarm went off") out - visible (e.g., stars), invisible (e.g., lights)

out of - outside, inside (e.g., "work out of one's home")

oversight - error, care

pitted - with the pit in, with the pit removed

put out - extinguish, generate (e.g., something putting out light)

quiddity - essence, trifling point

quite - rather, completely

ravel - tangle, disentangle

rent - buy use of, sell use of

rinky-dink - insignificant, one who frequents RinkWorks

sanction - approve, boycott

sanguine - hopeful, murderous (obsolete synonym for "sanguinary")

screen - show, hide

seed - add seeds (e.g., "to seed a field"), remove seeds (e.g., "to seed a tomato")

skinned - with the skin on, with the skin removed

strike - hit, miss (in baseball)

table - propose (in the United Kingdom), set aside (in the United States)

transparent - invisible, obvious

unbending - rigid, relaxing

variety - one type (e.g., "this variety"), many types (e.g., "a variety")

wear - endure through use, decay through use

weather - withstand, wear away

wind up - end, start up (e.g., a watch)

with - alongside, against

And this is why the English language is so hard to learn

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Here's another:

I predict that Tony Dungy will weigh his options for another year with the Colts and finally decide to resign.

Will he re-up for another season, or will he quit?

Everyone knew that one Manning would be watching the other on TV next week, right?

How about those Giants? :rolleyes:

Here's one for T.O. ... :( add a single tear coursing down the cheek.

i believe it's resign and re-sign.... but, i thought i was wrong once but i was mistaken

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What about expressions that are their own antonyms? The meaning of the phrase "you don't say!" is explained as follows in the "Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English" (2006 edition): used to show you are surprised by what someone has told you - also often used when you are not at all surprised by what someone has told you.

i believe sarcasm could make this bpossibe for almost any word

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