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20 Nov 2019       ILC Leiria

Do you know what contronyms are?

The English language includes an interesting category of words and phrases called contronyms or contranyms — terms that, depending on context, can have opposite or contradictory meanings. When you use these words, be sure the context clearly identifies which meaning is intended:

Bolt: To secure, or to flee
Bound: Heading to a destination, or restrained from movement
Buckle: To connect, or to break or collapse
Clip: To fasten, or detach
Custom: A common practice, or a special treatment
Dust: To add fine particles, or to remove them
Fast: Quick, or stuck or made stable
Finished: Completed, or ended or destroyed
First degree: Most severe in the case of a murder charge, or least severe in reference to a burn
Give out: To provide, or to stop because of a lack of supply
Lease: To offer property for rent, or to hold such property
Left: Remained, or departed
Off: Deactivated, or activated, as an alarm
Out: Visible, as with stars showing in the sky, or invisible, in reference to lights
Out of: Outside, or inside, as in working out of a specific office
Overlook: To supervise, or to neglect
Rent: To purchase use of something, or to sell use
Rock: An immobile mass of stone or figuratively similar phenomenon, or a shaking or unsettling movement or action
Screen: To present, or to conceal
Strike: To hit, or to miss in an attempt to hit
Transparent: Invisible, or obvious
Trim: To decorate, or to remove excess from
Trip: A journey, or a stumble
Variety: A particular type, or many types
Wear: To endure, or to deteriorate
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