For instance the words "to be out" have two directly opposite meanings:
"The sun is out" meaning there is light being illuminated.
"The light is out"meaning there is no light being illuminated.
Does anyone know of any other such words or phrases?
2006-10-22 12:52:18 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
A good girl is "good" if she doesn't have sex.
A bad girl is "good" if she has sex.
2006-10-22 12:56:30 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Wikipedia covers this quite well. The word you want is contronym/contranym, tho' wikipedia prefers auto-antonym. There are links to extensive lists off such words.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contranym
2006-10-24 03:42:48 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
To, Too, Two depends on the pronunciation!
Over here
Over their
Their, There, They're
sum (equation), some
tune (music)
'toon (cartoon)
someplace
somewhere
sometime
gray
grey
Is this what you mean????
Open, the store is open. 7am
Open, the door is open ajar.
Hope I win!
2006-10-22 13:05:13 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Correction for the guy above: Como= I consume (to no longer consume)..yo como (I consume) Como= How..Como estas (how are you) despite the fact that if it does no longer propose "like". Now to respond to your question, I see no benefit, it merely confuses maximum who prefer to benefit it. I propose, how the hell do you clarify to a pupil why an common word like "como" has 2 thoroughly diverse meanings to it?
2016-11-24 23:18:58 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The word "let" as a noun is unusual. It can mean something either permitted or not permitted.
It's a summer let only. (rent/lease) (permit, in a sense)
It's a sublet.
Access without let or hindrance (an obstacle) (does not permit, in a sense)
2006-10-22 13:42:46 · answer #5 · answered by strath 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
there are lots of other words with a differnt meaning to it like key thereis a key tha goes in a door and a map key
2006-10-22 12:58:51 · answer #6 · answered by h0tstuff94 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sanction means either permission, or prevention, of some action.
2006-10-23 09:52:20 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
''not at all...''
it means both ''know nothing about it'' and ''know almost everything about it'', depends on when and where you stop in a sentence.
''best...''
it can means ''the greatest'' and ''to lie'' when it is used as a slang.
2006-10-23 00:24:56 · answer #8 · answered by ruao = YuHsuan1992 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cleave means both "to stick together" and "to cut apart".
2006-10-23 01:43:33 · answer #9 · answered by Goddess of Grammar 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋