Contronyms are words that love to keep you guessing by meaning the opposite
38 Words That Are Their Own Opposites
Updated on May 30, 2025
Dust
Dust can mean to sprinkle a fine powder onto something (like powdered sugar on a cake) or to brush dust off of something (when you clean your house). This happened because dust was a noun first and then came “to refer to the many things you can do with dust,” says Zafarris.
Handicap
A handicap can be either a disadvantage (“The quarterback’s injury was a handicap during the race”) or an advantage given to equalize conditions (“Her five-stroke handicap allowed her to stay competitive against the more experienced players”). And, of course, this sports term is now a part of our everyday lexicon, well outside of the wide world of sports.
Cleave
So here’s the story on cleave, according to Adams. In Old English, the verb clēofan means to split apart or separate (like to cleave wood). There’s another Old English word, clifian, which means to adhere or bring together (you cleave to someone or to a belief). “They’re two completely different words that just happen to end up converging on the same sounds,” he says.
But as Adams points out, quoting another famous linguist, Geoffrey Nunberg: “Phonetics always trumps etymology.”
Ravel
The contradictory meanings of ravel stem from its origins in textiles. As threads become unwoven, they can either tangle or be separated. Ravel can be used to describe both the process of threads becoming tangled and the act of untangling them.
Buckle
You can use buckle to mean to hold together (“Buckle your seat belt”) or to give way or collapse under pressure (“My knees buckled”).
Garnish
Depending on the context, garnish can mean either enhancement by addition or penalty by subtraction. You can garnish a martini by adding an olive, or the court can garnish (take away) your wages. I know which version I’d prefer!
First-degree
The term first-degree represents opposite ends of a spectrum: First-degree murder is the most severe type of homicide, but a first-degree burn is the least severe kind of injury.
Lease
Depending on which side of the real-estate game you’re on, lease can mean to rent out (if you’re the landlord) or to rent from (if you’re the tenant).
Rent
Same here: If you’re the tenant, you’ll rent an apartment. If you own a property, you’ll rent it out to someone else.
Enjoin
The contronym enjoin is all about authority: giving an order to do something (“The contract enjoins both parties to act in good faith”) or an order to prohibit (“The court enjoined the company from using the trademark”).
Oversight
Here, the same word represents careful control and active attention as well as a careless error caused by a failure to notice something. It’s correct to say both “The report was completed under her close oversight” and “Due to an oversight, the report missed several key facts.”
Rock
Rock can mean to move gently back and forth (as when you rock a baby to sleep), or it can mean to shake violently (“The explosion rocked the building”).
Table
Here’s an example of how geography can create contronyms. In the U.K., to table is to introduce something for discussion: “The finance minister tabled the annual budget before Parliament.” In the U.S., we use table to mean to postpone discussion: “The committee decided to table the motion until next month.”
Let
Let can mean to allow or to hinder, though the latter usage isn’t very common these days.
Fine
Saying something is fine could mean it’s of very high quality (like a fine wine) or nothing special at all—”It’s fine, I guess.”
Seeded
The contronym seeded can be defined as having seeds (say, a loaf of seeded Italian bread). But it can also mean having no seeds or being seedless (as in grapes).
Scan
If you ask someone to scan that document, you’d better be specific about what you need. Scan can mean to examine closely or to glance over quickly. Two very different outcomes!
Peruse
Like scan, peruse can mean to read carefully or just to skim. You’ve got to be very clear of your intentions when using this word.
Aught
Though it’s not the most common word around, aught is a contronym. It can mean everything (“My professor knows aught about the topic”) or nothing (“After all that work, she has aught to show for her efforts”). Yep, it’s all or nothing.
Strike
Most people would define the word strike as “to hit or deliver a blow.” But baseball fans would probably automatically think of “to miss while trying to hit” during an at bat.
Seed
If you seed the lawn, you are adding seeds to the grass. But when you seed a watermelon, you are removing the seeds. I mean, you could just buy seedless watermelon. It’s easy to think this is a misnomer, but it’s really just a contronym!
Trim
Trim can be defined as “to cut down or remove” or “to embellish or add.” So you can trim the budget or trim your coat with faux fur … or, of course, trim your Christmas tree.
Bound
Being bound for something means you are moving toward it. But being bound by something means your actions are restrained or limited. So you could be heading to a destination (on an eastbound train) or restrained (bound by chains).
Fast
“The word fast has meant both ‘swift’ and ‘firmly attached’ since its appearance in Old English,” says Zafarris, “because its primary meaning was originally something like vigorously or strongly. So one could be running vigorously, like fast movement, or stuck vigorously, held fast to something.” For example, you’d probably want your car to go fast but the tires to hold fast.
Clip
Clip can mean both to attach or to remove. You can clip papers by fastening them together (with a paperclip) or clip a hedge by removing its branches with shears.
Sanction
Are you using this word correctly? Sanction can mean to grant permission or to prohibit something. And in both cases, says Zafarris, “it’s because the word sanction originally meant to make valid or binding by law. So it can be decreeing something to be not permissible or permissible.” A government can sanction or allow an event to happen, and it can also sanction or impose a ban on another country.
Screen
Classic contronym here. Screen can mean to hide (“Tall bushes screened the house from view”) or to show (“The documentary was screened at the film festival”).
Weather
Weather can be defined as to withstand or endure (weather a storm). But it can also mean to wear away (a weathered rock).
Bolt
Are you bolting from the car, or are you bolting the door? The first usage means to separate by running away; the second means to hold together.
Custom
A custom is a common practice or tradition shared by many people. But the word can also refer to one unique item, such as a custom-made blouse.
Finished
Finished can mean either completed (“I finished the puzzle!”) or destroyed or ruined (“After that performance, her career is finished”).
Out
When used in a phrase like “the stars are out,” the term means the stars are visible. But saying “the lights are out” would mean they are invisible or not working.
Off
Off can mean both not functioning as well as functioning, depending on how it’s used. This sentence uses both meanings: “Someone needs to turn off the alarm that is going off.”
Overlook
Overlook can mean to monitor or supervise, but it can also mean to neglect or fail to notice. For example, a group of lawyers would not want to overlook an important detail when they overlook the proposed contract.
Left
At a party, asking “Who’s left?” is a tricky question. It could either mean who is remaining or who has already departed.
Resign
Though resign is considered a contronym in writing because the words are spelled the same, it doesn’t work if you say the words out loud. When it means “to quit,” the word is pronounced re-Zine. But “to sign up again” is re-Sine.
Toss out
You can toss out (contribute) an idea in a meeting. Or a judge can toss out (reject or dismiss) a case.
Wind up
When you wind up a toy, you’re starting it. But when you wind up the evening, you’re ending it.
So, with that, let’s wind up this article on contronyms. Keep an ear out for these words that can mean the opposite depending on context—and impress your friends with this fancy-sounding word in casual conversation.
Additional reporting by Brooke Nelson Alexander.
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Sources:
- Michael Adams, professor of English and linguistics at Indiana University Bloomington and author of Slayer Slang: A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Lexicon; phone interview, May 16, 2025
- Jess Zafarris, etymology expert, founder of Useless Etymology, co-host of the Words Unravelled podcast and author of several books, including Words from Hell; phone interview, May 21, 2025
- Merriam-Webster
- Oxford English Dictionary
- Dictionary.com: “11 Contronyms You’ve Been Using Without Realizing It”
- Daily Writing Tips: “75 Contronyms”
