A contronym (also known as an auto-antonym or Janus word) is a word with two opposite meanings. Here are ten examples in English:
I Belong To Everybody And I Belong To Nobody – Buhari
Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, in his speech after he was sworn in made a strong statement about his commitment to serving the people
- Dust
- To remove fine particles: “She dusted the furniture.”
- To add fine particles: “He dusted the cake with powdered sugar.”
- Clip
- To attach something: “She clipped the papers together.”
- To cut or remove something: “He clipped the hedge.”
- Bolt
- To secure or lock: “He bolted the door shut.”
- To run away quickly: “The horse bolted from the stable.”
- Sanction
- To approve or authorize: “The government sanctioned the project.”
- To penalize or punish: “The country faced economic sanctions.”
- Left
- Departed: “He left the party early.”
- Remaining: “There were only two pieces of cake left.”
- Buckle
- To fasten or secure: “He buckled his seatbelt.”
- To collapse or give way: “The bridge buckled under the weight.”
- Fast
- Moving quickly: “The runner was fast.”
- Firmly fixed or immovable: “The door was fast shut.”
- Screen
- To show or display: “They screened the movie.”
- To hide or block: “She screened the view with a curtain.”
- Seed
- To plant seeds: “She seeded the garden.”
- To remove seeds: “He seeded the watermelon.”
- Trim
- To add decoration: “She trimmed the dress with lace.”
- To cut or reduce: “He trimmed the bushes.”
These words have meanings that can contradict each other depending on the context in which they are used.