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Contranym Solution
In his 1989 book _Crazy English_ (Pocket Books, ISBN 0-671-68907-X), Richard Lederer calls such words and phrases "contronyms" and lists 41. This phenomenon has been a curiosity to users of language for as long as there has been language and has many names: addad (Arabic) antilogy antiphrasis auto-antonymy didh (Arabic) enantiodromia (Greek) enantiosemy (Greek) enantiosis (Greek) gegensinn (German) Janus words l'shon hefech (Hebrew) mirror words oysterisms polarity self-antonymy turncoat words Such words can be divided into homographs (same spelling) and homophones (same pronunciation). A very short list of homophones: aural, oral = heard, spoken enumerable, innumerable = countable, uncountable erupt, irrupt = burst out, burst in eradicate, irradicate = pull up by the roots, root deeply fiance, fiancee = female betrothed, male betrothed raise, raze = erect, tear down reckless, wreckless = careless, careful succor, sucker = aid, hoodwink A partial list of homographs: aboard = alongside, inside against = in the direction of and in contact with, in an opposite direction all downhill from here = things are going to get better, things are going to get worse aloha = hello, goodbye anabasis = military advance, military retreat anathema = something cursed, [[rare] something consecrated to divine use anon = immediately [[archaic] or soon, later anxious = full of mental distress because of apprehension of danger or misfortune [[in effect, seeking to avoid] (We were anxious about the near by gunshots.), eager or looking forward to (until you returned, I was anxious to see you.) apparent = not clear or certain (for now, he is the apparent winner of the contest.), obvious (The solution to the problem was apparent to all.) apparent = seeming, clear ("heir apparent") argue = to try to prove by argument, [[disputed] to argue against arsis = the unaccented or shorter part of a foot of verse; the accented or longer part of a foot of verse assume = to actually have (to assume office), to hope to have ("he assumed he would be elected.") at the expense of = by sacrificing ("at the expense of accuracy"), [disputed] by tolerating or introducing ("at the expense of inaccuracy") aught = all, nothing ave = hail, farewell avocation = a hobby, 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!] awful = extremely unpleasant, ugly, awe-inspiring [typically, a feeling of admiration] bad = of poor quality, [[U.S. slang] good barrack = root or cheer, [[Australian] jeer or heckle below par = good (in golf), bad (in health) bill = money, statement of money owed bimonthly/weekly = twice a month/week, once every two months/weeks bolt = to secure in place, to dart away bomb = [[U.S. slang] a failure, [[U.K. slang] a success bound = moving ("I was bound for Chicago"), unable to move ("I was bound to a post", or less literally, "I was bound to my desk") buckle = to hold together (e.g. buckle your belt), to fall apart (e.g., buckle under pressure) bull = a solemn edict or mandate, nonsense or worthless information by = spoken representation of multiplication sign ("3-by-3 matrix"), spoken representation of division sign ("d y by d x") cakewalk = easy task, intricate walk contest cannot praise too highly = no praise is too high, cannot praise very highly certain = definite, hard to specify ("I have a certain feeling.") charter = grant for pay, use for pay cheerio = hello, goodbye chine = ridge, [[British dialect] ravine chuffed = [[slang] pleased, [[slang] annoyed cipher = zero, any number cite, citation = for doing good (such as military gallantry), for doing bad (such as from a traffic policeman) cleave = to separate, to join clip = cut apart, fasten together cognomen = first name, last name commencement = beginning, [[disputed] conclusion ("high school commencement") comprise = to contain entirely ("the United States comprises 50 states"), to be included in ("The 50 states comprise the United States" ) consult = to ask the advice of, to give professional advice contingent = unpredictable, dependent on a known condition continue = proceed with, [[US & Scottish legal usage] postpone cool = positive sense (cool web-sites), negative sense (cool reception) copemate = antagonist, partner could care less = (used as if it were synonymous with "could not care less"), one has no interest at all counterfeit = [[archaic] a legitimate copy, a copy meant to deceive critical = opposed to ("critical of"), essential to ("critical to") custom = [[noun] usual, [[adjective] special cut = to get in ("cut line"), to get out ("cut class") deceptively <any adjective> = more <any adjective> than it looks, less ... dike = wall, ditch discursive = moving from topic to topic without order, proceeding coherently from topic to topic dispense with = distribute with, do without (We dispense with accuracy.) dispose of = to place in an orderly way, to get rid of divide by a half = to double, [[disputed] to halve dollop = a large amount, [[U.S.] a small amount down = hill, valley downhill = easy, progressively worse dress = put covering (usu. clothes) on, take covering (usu. skin) off dust = to remove dust, to apply dust (as in fingerprinting) edited = remaining after omissions have been made, [disputed] omitted effectively = in effect (doing the equivalent of the action but not the real thing), with effect (doing the action and doing it well) [Contrast "he is effectively lying" (colloquial?) with "he is lying effectively"] egregious = outstandingly bad, [[archaic] distinguished enervate = to deplete the energy of, [[disputed] to invigorate enjoin = to order someone to do something, to stop someone from doing something [[such as in law by an injunction] factoid = speculation reported as fact, [[disputed] unimportant fact fast = moving rapidly, unable to move ("I was held fast to my bed.") fearful = causing fear, being afraid finish = kill, perfect (at a finishing school) fireman = firefighter, fire-stoker (on train or ship) first-degree = most severe ("first-degree murder"), least severe ("first- degree burns") fix = to restore to function (fixing the refrigerator), to make non-functional (fixing the dog) flesh = add body matter, remove body matter flog = to criticize harshly, to promote aggressively for sure = certainly, [[slang] certainly not fought with = fought on the same or opposite sides (The Finns fought with the Germans in WW II.) gale = a very strong wind, [[archaic] a gentle breeze garble = to mix up, [[archaic] to sort out garnish = to add to food, to subtract from wages gaum = to understand, to act stupid give out = to produce, to stop being produced go off = to become active, to become inactive good deal = [[disputed] very much (expensive), very little (bargain) goods = [[slang] good things, bad things ("I have the goods from the warehouse robbery, but I'm worried the police have the goods on me.") grade = an incline, level ("grade crossing") handicap = advantage (in golf), disadvantage help = to assist, to prevent ("I cannot help it if...") hoi polloi = the common people, [disputed] the elite hold up = to support, to delay homely = [[US] ugly, [[UK] pleasant hysterical = being overwhelmed with fear [in some cases], being funny impregnable = invulnerable, [[disputed] impregnatable impugnable = able to be impugned, [[obsolete] impregnable incorporate = when a village is incorporated, it is formed, but when it is incorporated into a city, the village is destroyed inexistent = inherent, [[obsolete] nonexistent infer = to take a hint, [[disputed] to hint inside lane = [[US] lane nearest center, [[UK] lane nearest edge into = as a divisor of, [[in India] multiplied by jake = [[[disputed] uncouth (person), fine keep up = to continue to fall (rain), [[disputed] to remain up kick off = begin, die last = just prior, final (my last book will be my last publication) lease = become lessor, become lessee left = departed from ("He left."), remaining ("He was left.") let = to permit, [[archaic] to hinder license = liberty or permission to do something, undue or excessive freedom or liberty like never before = totally amateurish, with great skill (she's dancing like she's never danced before.) literally = actually, [[disputed] figuratively (used before a metaphor) livid = discolored by bruising, pale look out for = be afraid of, anticipate lurch = run away, walk aimlessly mad = carried away by enthusiasm or desire, carried away by hatred or anger mark = write, read ("mark my words") mean = lowly ("rose from mean beginnings"), excellent ("plays a mean trombone") model = archetype, copy moot = debatable, [[disputed] not worthy of debate mortal = receiver of death, giver of death ("He dealt a mortal blow.") mortar = glue together, blow apart mosey = run away, walk aimlessly nauseous = nauseating, [[disputed] nauseated near miss = a hit close enough to achieve the effect, narrowly falling short of the objective nervy = showing calm courage, excitable note = promise to pay, money out = invisible (Turn the lights out.), visible (The moon is out.) out of = outside, inside ("work out of one's home") overlook = inspect, ignore oversight = care, error peep = to look quietly, to beep peer = noble, person of equal rank peruse = examine in detail, look over casually pitch = erect and fix firmly in place, throw away poke your head = make head poker, make head pokee policy = required activity without exception (university policy), an optional course of action (our government's policy regarding the economy) populate = to decimate the population (obsolete use), to increase the population practiced = [[adjective] expert, [[verb] inexpertly attempted prescribe = to lay down a rule, to become unenforceable presently = in a little while, [[archaic] immediately priceless = have a very high value, having no market value public school = [[US] tax-supported school, [[UK] endowed school put = lay, throw put out = to generate ("candle puts out light"), to extinguish put up = set up, take down ("Put up your toys.") puzzle = to pose a problem, to solve a problem quaint = beautiful, odd qualified = competent, limited ("The dance was a qualified success.") quantum = very small ("quantum level"), [[disputed] very large ("quantum leap") quiddity = an inessential feature, the essence quite = rather, completely ravel = to disentangle, [[archaic] to tangle recover = hide away (cover again), bring out [[hyphenated as re-cover] referent = something referred to, [[disputed] something referring to refrain = [[music] repeat a certain part, stop release = let go, hold on [[hyphenated as re-lease] rent = to buy temporary use of, to sell temporary use of replace = take away (replace the worn carpet), put back (replace the papers in the file) repress = hold back, put forth (press again) [[hyphenated as re-press] reprove = rebuke (reprove a colleague's work), support [[hyphenated as re-prove] reservation = what you make when you know where you want to go, what you have when you're not sure if you want to go reside = to stay put, [[slang] to change places (change teams) [[hyphenated as re-side] resign = to quit a contract, to sign the contract again [[hyphenated as re-sign] restive = refusing to move ("a restive horse"), restless reword = to repeat in different words, [[archaic] to repeat in the same words riot = violent disorder, revelry ("It was a riot!") rival = an opponent, [[archaic] a companion or associate rocky = firm, steadfast, tending to sway (e.g., a rocky shelf) root = to establish (The seed took root.), to remove entirely (Root out dissenters) rummage = thoroughly search, haphazardly search sanction = to approve of, [[disputed] to punish sanguine = hopeful, [[obsolete for "sanguinary"] murderous scan = to examine closely, to look over hastily scary = causing fright, easily scared screen = to show, to hide from view screwed = [[slang] to be taken advantage of, to fool around and have fun secrete/d = to extrude, to hide seed = remove the seeds, distribute the seeds seeded = with seeds, without seeds set = bend, make unyielding; become established, come to an end (the era sets) shalom = hello, farewell shank of the evening = end of the evening, early part of the evening shop = to search with the intent to buy, to search with the intent to sell ("I shopped my manuscript to several publishers.") sick = unpleasant (a sick joke), [[slang] wonderful siren = seductive sound, harsh sound skin = to cover with a skin, to remove outer covering or skin speak = express verbally, [[disputed] express nonverbally stain = color, discolor stamp out = eliminate, produce in great quantities stipulate = request explicitly, agree to straight = not using drugs, [[obsolete] under the influence of drugs strand = shore, [[Scots] sea strike = to miss (baseball), to hit strike out = an ending ("The batter struck out."), a beginning ("I struck out on my own.") substitute = to put (something) in something else's place, [[disputed] to replace (something) with something else tabby = a silk fabric, a rough kind of concrete table = [[UK] to propose, [[US] to set aside take = obtain, offer ("Models take good pictures.") take care of = look out for and nurture, [[slang] get rid of or kill take fire = withstand fire, be ignited tell me about it = I want to know more, I already know temper = calmness, passion; harden (steel), soften (justice) terrific = extraordinarily good, causing terror thesis = [[poetics] accented part, unaccented part think better of = to admire more, to be suspicious of through = [[US] finished, [[UK] connected (telephone) tilt = to incline toward, to charge against to a degree = [[archaic] exceedingly, [[disputed] to a certain extent to my knowledge = to my certain knowledge, as far as I know toast = popular ("the toast of the town"), [[US slang] doomed transparent = obvious, invisible trim = to put things on ("trim a Christmas tree"), to take things off trip = to stumble, to move gracefully ("trip the light fantastic") tropics = area near equator, limits of this area turn it up = [[US] increase volume, [[UK] cease unbending = rigid, relaxing ("Learn to unbend.") undersexed = having a lower-than-normal sex drive, [[disputed] sexually deprived unqualified = not qualified, very qualified ("He was an unqualified success.") vernacular = nonstandard speech, standard speech vital = lively, deadly watch out for = be afraid of, anticipate watershed = the divide between regions drained by different rivers, [[disputed] the region drained by one river wear = to retain vitality, to deteriorate weather = to withstand (a storm), to wear away widdershins = counterclockwise, [[in the southern hemisphere] clockwise wind up = to start (a watch), to stop (a speech) with = alongside, against (as in fighting) wraith = ghost of a dead person, apparition of a living person x = select (mark with an x), deselect (cross out) yuk = to express pleasant surprise (yak), to express unpleasant surprise (yuck) zing = to improve (by adding zest, interest or life to), to criticize A very very short list of contranyms from other languages: Chinese: louan = to govern well, to cause a disturbance Dutch: ettelijk = many or much, little or few kooper = buyer, seller French: La symetrie (symmetry), L'asymetrie (asymmetry) (homophones) defendre = to defend, to prohibit se marrer = to be bored, to enjoy one's self German: versehen = to examine, to ignore Kontrahent = opponent, contractor Greek: skhole = leisure, work due to leisure Hebrew: hara = to create, to destroy nigash = approach, draw back Russian: slovo = word, secret word or password [[archaic] Sahidic dialect of Coptic: ehrai = upwards, downwards Swedish: maximera = set an upper limit to, make as large as possible
