An antonym is word with a meaning opposite to another word.

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Can anyone provide me with a list of English words that are their own antonyms?

I am looking for a list of all English words that are their own antonyms. Off the top of my head, I can only think of "either", "fast", "to dust" and "to lease", but there must be dozens more. Can you ...
6
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8answers
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What do you call somebody who asks a question and somebody who answers a question?

What do you call somebody who asks a question and somebody who answers a question? I have exhausted the thesaurus with no real luck... any ideas? EDIT: It is in reference to this - or any other ...
30
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15answers
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Words with opposite meanings in different regions

I can't recall it, but there is a word in American English which now means the opposite of itself in British English. What words are there that have opposite (not just different) meanings in different ...
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3answers
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Why are not “infamous” and “inflammable” the opposite of “famous” and “flammable”?

Why are not infamous and inflammable the opposite of famous and flammable, like incomplete, inactivity, inappropriate and so on?
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4answers
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Opposite of acronym

If U.N. is the acronym of United Nations, then United Nations is the what of U.N.? Is there an opposite of acronym?
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5answers
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What's the antonym for Schadenfreude?

Schadenfreude is the joy or pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others. What is the word for joy or pleasure derived from the happiness of others?
15
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7answers
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Is there an antonym for “capitalize” (as in letter-case)

A word that starts with a lower-case (lowercase?) letter can be capitalized, but what is the converse action? Google has only one page in the top results that addresses this and the closest thing to ...
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20answers
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What's the opposite word for “sin”?

I would like to know if there is an opposite word for sin in English. I mean, how could I say the opposite of I committed a sin other than using a negation?
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2answers
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What is the opposite of “to stink” (v)? Is there one at all?

Specifically I'm looking for an antonym of the infinitive rather than the noun. For example, "fragrance" is an antonym of "stink" (the noun), but you can't say "Wow, that fragrants" or "Wow that ...
36
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20answers
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What's the opposite of “concatenate” in programming?

To concatenate means to string together different things. Concatenating "snow" and "ball" produces "snowball." But what would the opposite action be? What is the name of the action used to derive two ...
7
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3answers
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Is “misogyny” only applicable to men? What is the antonym of misogyny?

I came across the following sentence in New Yorker’s (February 23) article, titled “In Defense of Liz Lemon”: “She behaves as if Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) is her daddy. She doesn’t trust her ...
4
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2answers
108 views

A different sort of antonym for Schadenfreude?

Schadenfreude is the joy or pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others. What is the word for the feeling of discomfort derived from witnessing the misfortunes of others?
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1answer
305 views

What is the term for words that can be used as the opposite of themselves?

What is the term for words that can be used as the opposite of themselves? I know there are a few of them out there, it is possible to 'Dust a cake with Icing' and if the cake were on a shelf for a ...
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1answer
141 views

What is the antonym of 'quoin' — a single word to describe an interior angle

I'm looking for single words to describe interior (as in 'corner of a room') and exterior angles (as in 'corner of a building'). For the exterior angle I found quoin which is (according to ...
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9answers
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Antonym of 'stigma'

I am looking for a word that has the opposite, positive connotation from 'stigma': For example, There is a stigma of laziness associated with poor people. What would be the replacement for ...
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2answers
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Is there an antonym for “delegate”?

I am trying to find the correct opposite of a delegate in the context of a person being a representative of someone else that have allowed or chosen them to be their delegate. What would you call that ...
3
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7answers
9k views

What is the opposite of the word confirm? [closed]

I am looking at the particular usage as such - "I want to confirm this theory."
3
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1answer
272 views

ravel: opposite meanings?

From the definition found at Merriam-Webster and elsewhere, it seems that to ravel has completely opposite meanings; i.e. it means to unravel, to disentangle as well as to entangle. What's going on ...
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2answers
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Which word can be used for the person who is challenged (in a contest)?

The words "challenge" and "challenger" are well-known, but is there such a term as "challengee" - as I read somewhere? In other words, what would be an appropriate term to describe the person ...
6
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12answers
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What's the opposite for “steep learning curve”?

[Inspired by the Steep learning curve question] Is there a phrase similar to steep learning curve (i.e. [some-word] learning curve) describing something that is easy to learn?
6
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1answer
130 views

Does English have half-graded antonyms?

In a recent question about comparatives, a dispute arose in the comments about gradable antonyms like useful/useless where English speakers strongly prefer to use comparative forms only for half of ...
5
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5answers
891 views

Word meaning the reverse of 'Xenophobia'

Xenophobia refers to the irrational fear or hatred of foreigners. But recently I've seen people displaying (in newspaper articles and other places) an irrational fear or hatred of their own ...
4
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4answers
221 views

Word for “cinema with a single screen”?

I usually say multiplex for a cinema with more screens. What word can I use to refer to a cinema with a single screen? Monoplex? Singleplex? Is there a word other than single-screen to describe a ...
3
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7answers
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The opposite of “contains”

I was just wondering if anyone could think of a single word meaning the opposite of contains. E.g. This bottle of beer contains alcohol whereas this one doesn't. This bottle of beer doesn't ...
17
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10answers
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What is the opposite of “abstain”?

We were thinking originally in terms of voting, but of course "abstain" has a more general meaning, of which the antonym is probably "indulge". But is there an opposite that would be more appropriate ...
13
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2answers
313 views

What is the name for the inverse of an aphorism

For example, given a common saying or sequence of words, like A picture is worth a thousand words One reverses the order and obtains A word is worth a thousand pictures Is there a name for ...
8
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14answers
450 views

Is there a pejorative alternative to “improvise”?

I'm looking for a word or phrase that implies improvisation in a negative context. "Jury rigging" comes to mind, but I'm hoping for other alternatives.
4
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1answer
196 views

Is this correct: “…to all avail”?

Many of you have probably heard the phrase "to no avail", as in "I tried to talk them out of it to no avail." (Which means I tried to talk them out of something but failed to do so). However, I was ...
3
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1answer
191 views

Opposite of “straight talk”

What is the opposite for the straight talk idiom? How do I best call the activity when someone makes a very long preamble before he says what he wants?
3
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3answers
249 views

What is the opposite of “upsell”?

The dictionary defines the verb "upsell" as such: Main Entry: upsell Definition: to try to persuade a customer to buy a more expensive item or to buy a related additional ...
3
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3answers
363 views

“Employee” is to “employer” as “dependent” is to what? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: A depends on B, is A dependant, or is B dependant? I'm trying to find a word that is the counterpart to "dependent", i.e. refers to the one who the dependent relies ...
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3answers
88 views

Antonym of “recurrent” [closed]

What is the antonym of recurrent? This is like I have to few activities which I have to perform each month so these are recurrent but there are few activities which I only perform once. So what should ...
1
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9answers
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What is the opposite of “free” as in “free of charge”?

What is the opposite of "free" as in "free of charge" (when we speak about prices)? We can add "not" for negation, but I am looking for a single word.
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1answer
162 views

Words that have opposing definitions? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: English words that are their own antonyms What words have opposite meanings in different regions? I was reading a book the other day when the author wrote: The ...
0
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1answer
109 views

Synonyms, Antonyms, and “Neutralnyms”

Two words A and B are synonyms if they mean the same thing, and antonyms if they mean opposite things. But is there a word to describe the relationship where A means "neither B nor its opposite"? ...
0
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0answers
82 views

Loose And Tight [closed]

In one dictionary, the definition (5) for the adjective "loose" reads: 5 : not stiff or tense : flexible or relaxed ▪ He walked with a loose stride. ▪ loose muscles ▪ I never relaxed that day; ...
0
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6answers
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What is the word for something that has not yet been configured?

I am writing a user-interface for a program that configures some things. Let’s call them entries. To help the user keep track of what is left of configuration, a section such as the following is ...
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4answers
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Literal antonym to “Outspoken” [closed]

I'm working on a humorous project in which one character is called the Outspoken Mime. The adjective "outspoken" means the mime in question is "free, bold, or unreserved in speech." On one side, ...