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Contradictanym, antagonym, amphibolous words, antilogies, auto-antonyms/autoantonym, contronyms/contranyms enantiodromes/-dromic/-nymy, janus words, self-antonyms, self-contradicting words, amphibolous words antagonyms, antilogies...


definition:
A word with two opposite meanings, depending on the context in which it's used. 
Apologize
    To say you're sorry/to defend
Screen
    To show (as in a film) or to hide (something from someone)?
Dust
    To remove fine particles (dust the furniture) or to add fine particles (dust the cake with icing sugar)?
Custom
    Something common to many people, or something uniquely modified?
Qualified
    Limited (as in qualified success) or skilled (as in fully qualified)?
Fast
    Moving quickly or fixed securely?
Critical
    Disparaging of something, or vital to it?
Pitted
    With pits, or with pits removed?
Draw (the curtains)
    Open them, or close them?
Cleave
    Split (e.g. a rock) or join (e.g. in marriage)
aught 
everything, all / nothing, zero 

bill
invoice, charge / money 

cleave
cut apart / stick together 

clip
cut apart / join together 

custom
usual, ordinary / special, made-to-order 

doubtful
causing doubt or uncertainty / having doubt; showing doubt 

dust
remove fine particles / cover with fine particles 

fast
steady, unmoving / at high speed, quick 

inflamable
able to be set aflame / unable to be set aflame 

let
to permit / to hinder (without let or hindrance; a let ball)
 
literally
actually / figuratively (at least in the US!) 

marry
to join two people in marriage / to get married

model
archetype, prototype / copy, imitation, display 

momentarily
immediately / for a moment 

moot
academic, of little importance / debatable, important 

note
a promise to pay / money 

overlook
to look over / to refuse or fail to see 

paper
official / spurious 

partition
a division / the thing used to divide     
    
patronize
To act as a patron to; support or sponsor. /  To treat in a condescending manner.    

leave
go away from, depart permanantly / allow or cause to remain)    

    settle means "to move" (the pile ~d) and "to stop moving" (we ~d in)

    flesh means "to add substance (~ out)" to and "to clean a hide of flesh"

    seed means "to put seeds in" and "to take seeds out"

    garnish means "to add something to" or "to take away from (a form of ~ee)"

    root means "to get something to take root" or "to pull up (root out)"

    joint means "to combine or attach with a joint" and "to separate (esp. meat) at a joint"

    snap means "to break into pieces" and "to fasten together"

    tube means "to insert a tube in" and "to enclose in a tube"

    reel means "to wind onto" and "to let out from"

    lease means "to pay for use" and "to be paid for use"

    water means "to pour water out" and "to take on water"

    wear means "to last under use" and "to erode under use"

    weather means "to disintegrate or wear" and "to come through safely, survive"

    crop means "to plant or grow" and "to cut or harvest"


 
    inflammable and flammable both mean "capable of burning".
        This isn't a self-antonym but it is a cool word pair.
    
       sanction means "to allow" and "to prohibit (or punish)"
 
    cleave means "to join" (as in "cleave unto") and "to separate or divide"
 
    clip means "to attach" and "to separate" (sure looks like clip is a cognate of cleave, doesn't it?)
 
    inoculate means "to protect against" and "to infect with"
 
    cull means "to select" and "to reject"
 
    alight means "to settle onto" and "to dismount from"
 
    went off means "to start" and "to stop" (the alarm ~ when the light ~)
 
    fix means "a solution" and "a problem" (also fixed)
 
    ravel means "to entangle" and "to disentangle" (as does unravel!)
        [contributed by Tamara Munzner]
 
    screen means "to display" (~ a movie) and "to hide" (~ his view)
        [contributed by Krishnan Sriram]
 
    protest means "to object" and "to affirm" (also, protestations)
        [contributed by Ron Slavecki]
 
    cork means "to take out" and "to insert" a cork from a bottle
        [contributed by David Miller]
 
    oversight means a kind of error, and a kind of prevention from error
        [contributed by Matt Ross]
 
    trim means "to remove from" (~ the tree) and "to add to" (~ the Christmas tree)
        [contributed by Dick Stadler]
 

 

       enjoin means "to direct" and "to forbid"
       [contributed by Jonathan King]
 

 

       dust means "to remove from" (~ the table) and "to add to" (~ the cake)
        [contributed by Susan Ramage]
 

 

        clip means "to partition" (~ the paper) and "to join" (~ the papers)
        [contributed by Sidney Pestka]

secrete: means "to give off" and "to conceal" [contributed by Matt Antone]

rent: means "to grant possession in exchange for rent" and "to take and hold under an agreement to pay rent" [contributed by Matt Antone]
Antagonyms

Anabasis: A military advance vs. A military retreat (3) {C}

Anon : Immediately [Archaic] or soon vs. Later (3) {M}

Anxious: Full of mental distress because of apprehension of danger or misfortune [in effect, seeking to avoid] (We were anxious about the nearby gunshots.) vs. Eager or looking forward to (Until you returned, I was anxious to see you.) (1)

Apparent: Not clear or certain (For now, he is the apparent winner of the contest.) vs. Obvious (The solution to the problem was apparent to all.) (1) {I}

Assume: To actually have (To assume office) vs. To hope to have ("He assumed he would be elected.") (3) {M}

Avocation: A hobby vs. a regular occupation [and one could say it's a triple antagonym if you agree that the archaic meaning of "a distraction" is the opposite of working (even at a hobby) and if you agree that the obsolete meaning of "a calling away" takes you away from (the opposite of participating in) your hobbies, work, and even your distractions!] (1)

Awful: Extremely unpleasant, ugly vs. Awe-inspiring [typically, a feeling of admiration] (1)

Bad: See above

Bound: Moving ("I was bound for Chicago") vs. Unable to move ("I was bound to a post", or less literally, "I was bound to my desk") (3) {S}

Buckle: to hold together (e.g. buckle your belt) vs. to fall apart (e.g., buckle under pressure) {AQ}

Bull: A solemn edict or mandate vs. Nonsense or worthless information (3) {M}

Chuff: Elated vs. Unhappy (hinted at in 1) {M}

Cite, Citation: For doing good (such as military gallantry) vs. for doing bad (such as from a traffic policeman) (1)

Cleave: To adhere tightly vs. To cut apart (1) {A}

Clip: to attach vs. to cut off (1) {AH}{AS}

Cool: positive sense (cool web-sites) vs. negative sense(cool reception). {AA}

Comprise: To contain entirely vs. To be included in ("The United States comprises 50 states"; "The 50 states comprise the United States") [Some will argue with both uses, including me; however, both uses have become commonplace and some sources list both without comment.] (1) {U}

Counterfeit: [Archaic] a legitimate copy vs. a copy meant to deceive{Y}

Cut: get in (as in line or queue) vs. get out (as in a school class) {T}

Dust: To remove dust vs. To apply dust (as in fingerprinting) {H}

Effectively: in effect (doing the equivalent of the action but not the real thing) vs. with effect (doing the action and doing it well) [Contrast "he is effectively lying" (colloquial?) with "he is lying effectively"] {AD}

Enjoin: To order someone to do something vs. To stop someone from doing something [such as in law by an injunction] (1) {D}

Fast: Moving rapidly vs. Unable to move ("I was held fast to my bed.") (3) {S}

Fix: to restore to function (fixing the refrigerator) vs. to make non-functional (fixing the dog) {AZ}

Fearful: Causing fear vs. Being afraid (1) {A}

Goods: [Slang] good things vs. bad things ("I have the goods from the warehouse robbery, but I'm worried the police have the goods on me.") {T}

Hysterical: Being overwhelmed with fear [in some cases] vs. Being funny (1)

Incorporate: When a village is incorporated, it is formed, but when it is incorporated into a city, the village is destroyed {O}

Inflammable [a pseudo-antagonym!]: Burns easily vs. [the incorrect assumption by many that the prefix in- makes it mean:] Does not burn [Only the first definition is correct; the risk of confusion has removed this word from gasoline trucks!] (4) {J}

Last: Just prior vs. final (My last book will be my last publication) {Y}

Lease, Let, Rent: [in essence] To loan out for money vs. To "borrow" for money (1) {K}

Left: To remain vs. to have gone (Of all who came, only Fred's left. [Does it mean he's the only one who still remains or that he's the first to depart?]) {AB}

Let: [Archaic] To hinder vs. To allow (1) {K}

License: Liberty or permission to do something vs. Undue or excessive freedom or liberty (1) {K}

Literally: Precisely vs. often corruptly used to mean "figuratively" (As in: "There were literally millions of people at that party."). Our correspondent writes: Many people think this is an error, albeit a common one; but I think "Literally millions of people" isn't so much error as a form of hyperbole; the trouble is that the literal meaning of "literally" is, among other things, "not hyperbolically." {AF}

Livid: Pale, ashen vs. dark gray-blue (and sometimes corrupted to mean bright red!) (1) {AW}

Mad: carried away by enthusiasm or desire vs. carried away by hatred or anger (3) {AK}

Moot: [a slight stretch here] A moot point is one that is debatable, yet is also of no significance or has been previously decided, so why debate it? (1) {K}

Overlook: to pay attention to, to inspect ("We had time to overlook the contract.") vs. to ignore (1) {AN}

Oversight: Watchful and responsible care vs. An omission or error due to carelessness (1) {E}

Peruse: Read in a casual way, skim (To peruse the Sunday paper) vs. to read with great attention to detail or to study carefully (To peruse a report on financial conditions). {AR}

Policy: Required activity without exception (University policy) vs. An optional course of action (our government's policy regarding the economy) {K}

Populate: To decimate the population (obsolete use) vs. to increase the population {AP}

Practiced: Experienced, expert (I am practiced in my work) vs. Inexperienced effort (The child practiced coloring.) (1)

Prescribe: To lay down a rule vs. To become unenforceable (3) {D}

Presently: Now vs. after some time {BB}

Quite: Completely vs. Not completely (e.g., quite empty [totally empty]; quite full [not completely full, just nearly so]) (3) {M}

Ravel: to disentangle or unravel vs. to tangle or entangle (1) {X}

Recover: hide away (cover again) vs. bring out [hyphenated] (The dinosaur bones were exposed by the flood but then re-covered with dirt, hiding them again; centuries later, the paleontologists recovered them by removing the dirt.) {T}

Refrain: In song, meaning to repeat a certain part vs. To stop (Please refrain from using bad language) {AO}

Release: let go vs. hold on (lease the property again) [hyphenated as re-lease] {T}

Replace: Take away (replace the worn carpet) vs. Put back (replace the papers in the file) {T}

Repress: hold back vs. put forth (press again) [hyphenated] {T}

Reprove: rebuke (reprove a colleague's work) vs. support (re-prove a scientist's theory) {T}

Reservation: what you make when you know where you want to go vs. what you have when you're not sure if you want to go

Reside: to stay put vs. [Slang] to change places (change teams) [hyphenated as re-side] [N.B.: This is also a heteronym!] {T}

Resign: to quit a contract vs. to sign the contract again [hyphenated as re-sign] {T} [N.B.: This is also a heteronym!]

Restive: refusing to move (forward) (a restive horse) vs. Restless (moving around) (1) {M}

Restore [in the following use]: The painting was said to be a fake, so the museum re-stored it in the warehouse. When it was later found to be real, the museum restored it to its place in the gallery. {T}

Riot: Violent disorder vs. Revelry {Consider what is meant when one says, "It was a riot!") (1)

Rival: An opponent vs. (Archaic) A companion or associate (3) {O}

Rocky: Firm, steadfast vs. tending to sway (e.g., a rocky shelf) {S}

Root: To establish (The seed took root.) vs. To remove entirely (usually used with "out", e.g., to root out dissenters) {AG}

Sanction: Support for an action (They sanctioned our efforts.) vs. A penalty for an action (The Congressman was sanctioned for inappropriate behavior.) (1) {D} {O}

Sanguine: (Now poetic) Causing or delighting in bloodshed [according to contributor, also describes a person worked up into a bloody rage] vs. A person hopeful or confident of success [essentially someone calm about something] (2) {B}

Scan: to examine closely vs. to look over hastily (1) {S} {AI}

Screwed: [Slang, vulgar] Had a good experience (We screwed around all night.) vs. To have a bad experience (I was screwed by that cheater.) {T}

Secreted: Having put out, released vs. Placed out of sight (1) [N.B.: This word is also a heteronym!]

Shank: (Informal) The early part of a period of time (It was just the shank of the evening when the party began.) vs. (Informal) The latter part of a period of time (It was the shank of the evening when the party ended.) (1)

Shop: To search with the intent to buy ("I shopped for a book at several stores.") vs. To search with the intent to sell ("I shopped my manuscript to several publishers.") {R}

Sick: unpleasant (A sick joke) vs. wonderful (Slang: That sportscar is really sick!) {AE}

Skin: to cover with a skin vs. to remove outer covering or skin (1) {I} {P}

Strike out: An ending, as in "The batter struck out." vs. A beginning, as in "I thought it was time to strike out on my own." (1) {L} Also, a strike in bowling occurs when there is complete contact between ball and wood (of the pins), whereas a strike in baseball occurs when there is complete absence of contact between ball and wood (of the bat). {W} Also, to strike causes stoppage of work whereas in the theater to strike is to work on the set, lighting, etc. {AX}

Terrific: (Informal) Extraordinarily good vs. Causing terror (1)

Transparent: Easily seen ("His motives were transparent.") invisible {AL}

Trim: To add things to (trim a Christmas tree) vs. or take pieces off (trim hair) {AT}{AU}

Antagonistic phrases, usually informal

These are phrases that (probably through corruption) have come to mean the opposite of what they should mean if taken literally.

All downhill from here: Things are going to get better vs. things are going to get worse {AU}{AV}

Could care less: (Used as if it were synonymous with "could not care less.") One has no interest at all {G}

Fought with: Fought on the same or opposite sides (The Finns fought with the Germans in WW II.) {AW}

Like never before: totally amateurish vs. with great skill (She's dancing like she's never danced before.) {F}

Look out for: see Watch out for

Take care of: Look out for and nurture vs. get rid of or kill (As heard on NPR by commentator Diane Roberts discussing the meaning of saying "we're going to take care of Timothy McVeigh [convicted bomber]) {contributed by A}

Near miss: A hit close enough to achieve the effect vs. narrowly falling short of the objective {X}

Restrict access to: ("To restrict access to adult movies, please contact the front desk.") To allow access only to vs.

to disallow access to {AM}

Steep learning curve: To most, this means "difficult to learn" or "taking a long time to learn," but can also mean "easy to learn, taking a short time." (I think some workers mean the former when they refer to a process that has a steep learning curve, and to the latter when referring to a person who masters the process with a steep learning curve. This antagonym may be controversial.) {AP}

Tell me about it: I want to know more vs. I already know. {AY}

Watch out for: A positive statement meaning try to find or partake of vs. A negative statement meaning avoid (Watch out for this movie.)

Here's an interesting phrasing: Football coach Lloyd Carr of the #1-ranked University of Michigan Wolverines, after finishing undefeated (11-0) with a victory over Ohio State, explaining his preseason view of the team's schedule: "There wasn't one game that we knew we couldn't win, but we also realized there wasn't one we couldn't lose." [The Ann Arbor News, November 23, 1997, p. D1.] [In the Detroit Free Press the next day (p. D4), the last phrase is quoted as ".there wasn't one we could lose."] Coach, don't think we don't know what you mean (!), and your multiple double-negatives rate a place on our webpage!

Opposonyms? Pseudopposites? Pairs of phrases, usually informal, -- how can they mean the same?

Burned up, Burned down: (Both mean destroyed.) {BA}

Fat chance; slim chance: (Both mean "not too likely") {N}

Cool; hot: (Both mean wonderful [Slang], e.g., when applied to a car)

Confusing words (should we call them "confusonyms"?)

Biweekly (Bimonthly, Biyearly): twice a week (month, year) vs. every two weeks (month, years) (According to reference 1, the former is used "loosely") {Y} {AJ}

Daily: 5 days a week vs. 6 days a week vs. 7 days a week (for example, the "daily" newspaper) {Q}

Every day: As in "daily" above, one often hears on the radio "Listen to our morning show every day" to mean Monday through Friday

To have or to have not

These terms are confusing and have opposite meanings depending on usage.

Seeded: Clouds are seeded (something is added) to produce rain vs. grapes which are seeded (the seeds are removed). {AA}. Also, if one removes the seeds from cherries they are pitted but if one sows grass seed in the yard, the yard is seeded. {AC}

Shelled: Having the shell removed (shelled pecans) vs. Enclosed in a shell (tiny, shelled marine animals) (1) {V}

Skinned: See skin, above.

Pitted? Pitted olives are olives with the pits taken out, but pitted skin is skin with pits in it! {BC}

 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

Contronyms are special cases of homographs (two words with the same spelling). Some examples:

Finding such idiosyncrasies in slang is much easier. The word "bad" can be used as slang to mean "good." The word "bomb" has two slang meanings: "failure" (as usually used in the United States) and "success" (as usually used in the United Kingdom).

Some noteworthy antonyms aren't homographs (words that are spelled the same) but homophones (words that are pronounced the same). Some of these include:

Homophones that are near-antonyms:


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