Suitable for intermediate CEFR B1+
#vocabulary #EnglishVocab #miscommunication
Any English learner will realise that English has a
notoriously large vocabulary. The current edition of the Oxford English
Dictionary contains a staggering 218,632 words 171,476 of which are currently
in use, making English vocabulary the largest of any language in the world by
number of dictionary entries. Having a large vocabulary can be useful because
it allows for greater freedom of description and expression, but it can sometimes
lead to misunderstandings or miscommunication. You’ve probably heard of
synonyms – different words with similar meaning, but what about contronyms?
Contronyms also known as antagonyms are words that have two opposing
meanings. Contronyms should not be confused with antonyms, which are words
opposite in meaning to another word, such as big is to small and hot is to
cold. So here are 10 most common confusing contronyms that have two opposite
meanings.
1. Bolt (v.)
To bolt can mean to escape or run away suddenly, as in ‘the
horse bolted from its stable yard,’ or to fasten or secure something, as in ‘the
door was bolted.’
2. Buckle (v.)
To buckle can mean to fasten, as in ‘she buckled her shoes,’
or to bend, distort or collapse, as in ‘the heel of her shoe buckled.’
3. Clip (v.)
To clip can mean to fasten together, as in ‘he clipped the papers
together,’ or to cut, as in ‘he clipped the paper to an appropriate size.’
4. Consult (v.)
This verb can mean to give advice and obtain advice.
5. Custom (n.)
We often talk of customs associated with different countries
or cultures, but the word custom means both something normal and ordinary, and
something special and unique.
6. Dust (v.)
To dust can mean to cover or sprinkle over something, as in ‘once
cooled, dust with icing sugar,’ or to clean by removing fine particles, as in ‘I
need to dust the shelves in the living room.’
7. Fast (adj.)
Fast is an adjective that can mean moving or capable of
moving quickly, as in ‘the dog ran fast,’ or firmly fixed in position or
attached, as in ‘the lid was stuck fast.’
8. Fine (adj.)
When someone asks how we are and we reply ‘I’m fine, thank
you,’ we are indicating that we are neither very well nor very unwell, but just
ok or as usual, but the word fine can also mean something of very high quality,
as in ‘the gallery sells a selection of fine art.’
9. Hold up (v.)
This phrasal verb can mean to delay, as in ‘Sorry I’m late,
I was held up in traffic,’ or to support, as in ‘hopefully this bandage will
hold up until we get to the hospital.’
10. Sanction (v.)
To sanction can mean both to authorise, approve or allow or
to restrict or penalise as a form of discipline.
These are just a few examples. Can you think of any
contronyms in your language? I’d love to hear from you. Please comment below!
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