Can A Word Be Its Own Opposite?
Yes! They are called Contronyms—words that are their own antonyms, depending on usage.
Here are a few examples
Dust :
can mean ‘to add fine particles’ or ‘to remove fine particles’.
Left :
can mean both
‘remaining’ and ‘departed’.
Off :
can mean both ‘activated’ and ‘deactivated’.
Eg:- “Set off” – Activated
“ Switch off – Deactivated
Oversight :
means both ‘watchful care’ and ‘an inadvertent error’.
Screen :
can mean both ‘to show’ and ‘to hide’.
Sanction
can mean both ‘a penalty for disobeying a law’ and ‘official permission or approval for an action.
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