Resources · Vocabulary

Contronyms: one word, opposite meanings

A contronym (also called a Janus word or auto-antonym) is a word that can mean the opposite of itself. You can dust a shelf or dust a cake; a team can be sanctioned for good or for bad. Each entry below shows both meanings with an example sentence, so you can see how context decides which one is meant.

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In quiz mode, the meanings are hidden: read the two example sentences, decide what the word means in each, then tap the card to check. Spotted an error? Please let me know through the contact page.