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?
