Recently, we brought you an outrageous example of those Brexit colonialists claiming North Americans misuse ‘nonplussed’ to mean ‘unperturbed’ rather than ‘confused surprise’. Hmmph.
Thus nonplussed, I brought in the legendary James Lincoln Warren to sort out the word ‘belie’ in the same article. Today, we hope to render you further nonplussed with a list of forty dastardly contronyms, words with opposite meanings. Let’s have at it.
The ⇆ Glossary
- belie
- The subject gives lie to the object; the object gives lie to the subject.
- bill
- Having money (currency); owing money or seeking money owed.
- bolt
- To flee; to hold together.
- bound
- Head toward a destination, restrained from heading anywhere.
- buckle
- To fasten or join together; to collapse under pressure.
- citation
- Praising an act; issuing summons for an illegal act.
- cleave
- To adhere together; to split apart.
- clip
- To fasten together with a paperclip; to detach with shears.
- consult
- To seek advice; to give advice.
- custom
- A common practice; a unique bespoke item.
- dust
- To apply a fine power; to remove fine powder.
- either
- One or the other; both (original meaning; i.e, surrounded on either side).
- enjoin
- To order someone to act; to prohibit someone from acting.
- fast
- Firmly fixed, unmovable; unattached and able to move quickly.
- finished
- Completed; wrecked, destroyed.
- founder
- Creation (company, city); destruction (sink, go lame, fail).
- garnish
- To add or enhance (foods); to seize or withhold (wages).
- handicap
- An advantage to equalize (golf); disadvantage rendering equality difficult.
- lease
- To rent property; to offer property for rent.
- leave
- To remove oneself from a location; to be left behind in a location.
- left
- Departed; remained behind.
- literally
- Precisely and concretely; figuratively (through misuse).
- model
- Original upon which others are based; a copy.
- off
- Not operating (i.e, lights went off); operating (alarm went off).
- original
- A fresh idea; an old notion.
- out
- Visible (stars are out); invisible (lights are out).
- overlook
- See to; fail to see.
- refrain
- To repeat an action; to not perform an action at all.
- peruse
- To skim; to read carefully (original meaning).
- ravel
- To separate; to become entangled.
- rent
- To lease; to offer property for lease.
- sanction
- To approve an act; to punish an act.
- screen
- To hide, obscure; to show (a film).
- seed
- To add seed (to a lawn); to remove seed (from a melon).
- strike
- To hit; to not hit (a baseball).
- transparent
- Invisible; obvious.
- trim
- To add (decorations). to remove (hair).
- variety
- A particular type; many types.
- wear
- To endure; to deteriorate.
- weather
- To withstand or endure; to be worn away.
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| Overseeing Lookout Mountain © courtesy Town of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee |
Confused? My job’s complete. Can you think of others?
Good listing. Read it early this morning before coffee and had to read it again later after coffee to feel the full effect. I like this list.
ReplyDeleteIn most parliamentary systems "table" means introduce a bill. In the U.S. it means set the bill aside.
ReplyDeleteYour list also relates to question 3 on this quiz. https://criminalbrief.com/?p=13887
Leigh, interesting list. I have enough trouble getting the proper English language use as it is. No wonder foreigners have a hard time learning the rules.
ReplyDeleteGreat list. I'm not sure what category these would fall into, but filling in a form is the same as filling it out, a fat chance and a slim chance are the same, a wise man and a wise guy are opposites, and when I wind up my watch I start it but when I wind up this comment I finish it. Makes you feel sad for folks who have to learn English as a second language.
ReplyDeleteThanks, O'Neil. You're one hearty guy on a Sunday morning.
ReplyDeleteGood point, Rob. I revisited the golden oldie you suggest. Good lists.
Thanks, RT. I have no idea how to classify flammable/inflammable. In that case, the Latin 'in' is used as an intensifier. Not to be inflammatory, that would make inflammable more flammable than ordinary flammable. So to speak.
This is why it's so hard to learn another language after childhood, unless you have the special polyglot gift.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Eve. The more I learn about languages, they trickier they become.
ReplyDelete