Word of the Day – Contronym

Contronym (noun)

kon-tro-nim

A word with two opposite meanings. Eg ‘overlook’ is a contronym and can mean to see clearly, or to completely miss.

1960s: blend of contra- and -onym, on the pattern of synonym and antonym.

Example sentences

“When using contronyms, one is required to listen to the entire sentence for context ”