Word Wednesday: Contronyms

On this weeks Word Wednesday, Kim has presented the word "Contronyms"

Contronyms:

[ kon-truh-nim ]

Also known as Janus words. Janus was an ancient Roman god with two faces that looked in opposite directions, so you can see how he came to be associated with contronyms. (You might be surprised to know that Janus is also connected to the month of January.)

Another term for these words is auto-antonym, or a word that means the opposite of itself. Technical terms for this phenomenon are enantiosemy, enantionymy, or antilogy.

Examples of Contronyms:

Bolt: to secure, or to flee

Bound: heading to a destination, or restrained from movement

Dust: to add fine particles, or to remove them

Left: remained, or departed

Sanction: to approve, or to boycott

Weather: to withstand, or to wear away