Q: I found Pat’s appearance last month on WNYC fascinating. I sat in the parking lot of a grocery store until it finished. I was particularly interested in her discussion of “sanction” and other words that are their own opposites. I have a small collection that may interest you: “cleave” (to cling or to part), “oversight” (a failure to notice or watchful care), and “dust” (to wipe off or to sprinkle on).
A: We’re glad you enjoyed the show, but Pat misspoke when she referred to these two-faced words as “autonyms.” They’re sometimes called “auto-antonyms,” “autantonyms,” or “self-antonyms.” We’ve also seen them called “Janus words,” after the god with two faces. But usual term for them is “contronyms.”
Here are some others besides “sanction,” “cleave,” “oversight,” and “dust”:
“Screen”: to view or to hide from view.
“Weather”: to stand up against a stress, or to be eroded by a stress.
“Buckle”: to fasten up, or to bend and break (not precisely opposites).
“Bolt”: to flee or to fix in place.
“Fast”: moving quickly or stuck in place.
“Boned”: to have bones, or to have had them removed.
“Enjoin”: to forbid, or to require.
“Seed”: to plant them, or to remove them.
“Trim”: to remove parts, or to add to (as in decoration).
We’re sure there are many others!
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