Contranyms - what they are and some great examples
2016-08-238 on Thu 25 Aug
As a copywriter it would be rather strange if I wasn’t a huge fan of words so when I came across the subject of contranyms I couldn’t wait to share some examples with you.
A contranym is a word with two opposite meanings. Yes folks it really is mess with your minds time! I suggest you put on the kettle and have a cuppa over this blog post – it’s definitely not one to scan read!
So here’s some examples:
- Bolt: To secure or to flee
- Bound: Heading to a destination or restrained from movement
- Buckle: To connect together or to break or collapse under strain
- Cleave: To adhere or to separate
- Clip: To fasten or to cut
- Consult: To offer advice or to obtain it
- Custom: A common practice or a special treatment
- Dust: To sprinkle over particles or to remove them
- Fast: Quick or stuck or made secure
- Finished: Completed or destroyed
- Handicap: An advantage provided to ensure equality or a disadvantage that prevents equal achievement
- Hold up: To support or to impede
- Model: An exemplar or a copy
- Out: Visible as with stars showing in the sky, or invisible, in reference to lights
- Overlook: To supervise or to neglect
- Oversight: Monitoring or failing to oversee
- Peer: A person of the nobility or an equal
- Quantum: Significantly large (as in leap) or a minuscule part
- Quite: Rather (as a qualifying modifier) or completely
- Rock: An immobile mass of stone or a shaking or unsettling movement or action
- Sanction: To approve or to boycott
- Scan: To peruse or to glance
- Screen: To present as in film or to conceal as in high hedges!
- Seed: To sow seeds or to shed them as in (floral) gone to seed
- Skin: To cover or to remove
- Splice: To join or to separate
- Strike: To hit or to miss in an attempt to hit
- Throw out: To dispose of or to present for consideration
- Trim: To decorate or to remove excess from
- Trip: A journey or a stumble
- Variety: A particular type or many types
- Wind up: To end or to start up
After you’ve had a small lie down in a small dark corner would you be able to think of any others? I’d love to hear...