As
a copywriter my job is to enlighten and excite your clients rather than teach
you language and grammar! But I came
upon the subject of contranyms on a US blog and thought I would mess with your
minds like it messed with mine…
So, for your information
a contranym is a word with two opposed meanings. Forget scan reading, you will need to think
about these – perhaps over a cuppa?
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
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
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
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
Trip: A journey or a stumble
Variety: A particular type or many types
Wind up: To end or to start up
When you have had a small lie down in a dark corner can you think of any
others? I would love to hear...
P.S. If you liked this post you might also enjoy Playing with Palindromes
P.S. If you liked this post you might also enjoy Playing with Palindromes
PPS: If you are stuck for an inspirational tweet today why not use my tweetables?
Did you know that a contranym was a word with two entirely opposite meanings?! click to tweet
Splice has opposite meanings: to join or to separate. Just a little contranym I came across...click to tweet
Thanks to Thomas Hawk on Flickr for the image