Words that are antonyms of themselves
What kind of word can also be the opposite of itself?
Another term for these words is auto-antonym, or a word that means the opposite of itself. Technical terms for this phenomenon are enantiosemy, enantionymy, or antilogy.
What are 2 words that are opposites?
Antonyms (opposites) examples:
- Night – Day.
- Arrive – Leave.
- Junior – Senior.
- Better – Worse.
- Right – Left.
- Rich – Poor.
- Smart – Stupid.
- Small – Big.
Can you just be Chalant?
A: No, there’s no “chalant,” just “nonchalant.” Only the negative form of the word has found a home in English. As the Oxford English Dictionary explains, “nonchalant” was borrowed from French sometime before 1734.
How many Contronyms are there?
75 contronyms
From our full list of 75 contronyms, you can tell that there are many examples of contronyms in the English language that we use in everyday conversation.
What are the 500 examples of antonyms?
Antonyms (A)
| Awake | Asleep |
|---|---|
| Ancient | Modern |
| Alive | Dead |
| Admit | Deny, Reject |
| Adore | Hate |
Do other languages have Contronyms?
Contronyms are also present in other languages; in French, hôte means either host or guest while in Hawaiian, aloha means both hello and goodbye. The same is said for ciao in Italian.
What is an example of a Janus word?
Among the most commonly encountered Janus words are cleave, hew, and sanction. For example, one can be said to cleave a block of wood, meaning to split it, or to cleave to one’s principles, meaning to cling to them.
Is flammable a contronym?
I immediately thought it was weird when I learned that flammable and inflammable mean the same thing.
Is literally a contronym?
So, when a person says “I was literally dying of laughter,” they are using the word “literally” to show that they are using exaggerated language. If you compare this use of “literally” with the first definition of “literally,” you will notice that “literally” has become a contronym.
What’s a synonym for oxymoron?
A seemingly absurd or contradictory statement or proposition. contradiction. dichotomy. opposition. incongruity.
What does Janus mean?
Definition of Janus
: a Roman god that is identified with doors, gates, and all beginnings and that is depicted with two opposite faces.
What are Antagonyms?
a word with two opposite meanings. More familiar examples of antagonyms are cleave, which can mean either “cut apart” or “stick together”; and fast, as in “run fast” versus “hold fast.” —
What is paradox and oxymoron?
A paradox is a rhetorical device or a self-contradictory statement that can actually be true. While an oxymoron is a figure of speech that pairs two opposing words. The key to easily spotting the difference is to focus on the meanings of the words themselves.
What does Adumbration mean?
1 : to foreshadow vaguely : intimate the social unrest that adumbrated the French Revolution. 2 : to suggest, disclose, or outline partially adumbrate a plan. 3 : overshadow, obscure bubbling optimism, not at all adumbrated by difficulties.
Is oxymoron a Greek word?
To get a sense of what the term oxymoron means, let’s consider its word origin. The first half of the word derives from the ancient Greek word “oxus,” meaning sharp. The second half of the word comes from the ancient Greek word “mōros,” meaning dull or foolish.
Is delicious poison an oxymoron?
Here Charlotte Brontë uses the oxymoron “delicious poison” to illustrate the dual nature of passionate love. Big emotions like love, hate, fear, and ambition—the cornerstones of many literary themes—work well with oxymorons because these feelings are naturally conflicting in nature.
Is Bittersweet a oxymoron?
When we learn about oxymorons, bittersweet is often one of the first words given as an example. The word combines two of the five taste sensations, the others being salty, sour, and savory (umami).
What is antithesis example?
These are examples of antithesis: “Man proposes, God disposes.” – Source unknown. “Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing.” – Goethe. “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” – Neil Armstrong. “To err is human; to forgive divine.” – Alexander Pope.
Is half naked an oxymoron?
OXYMORON: a combination of contradictory or incongruous words.
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| Oxymoron | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Half Naked | I hope it’s a girl. |
| Honest Mechanic | Every one knows one |
| Legally Dead | Members of the BAR |
| Hells Angels | Dante’s girls |