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Good examples of auto-antonyms

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0_equals_true
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19 Dec 2009, 5:27 pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto-antonym

Can you think of some really good examples, where it is not clutching at straws, but there is genuine ambiguity in the same context.

How about...skinned?

Also good examples of binary type antonyms, meaning there really is only one opposite.



Magnus
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19 Dec 2009, 10:22 pm

Patient

A patient is usually very impatient after sitting in a waiting room for a long time.


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0_equals_true
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20 Dec 2009, 7:03 am

:lol: That’s a good one, though not strictly opposites.

Sort can mean the same as shuffle (cards), which is a mixing together randomly, but it can also mean separating into organised piles, or simply ordering.

This is a non trivial exercise though...



Who_Am_I
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20 Dec 2009, 10:44 am

Cleave.


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20 Dec 2009, 8:42 pm

'Cored'? (in a similar vein to 'skinned')



0_equals_true
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21 Dec 2009, 9:28 am

Nice examples. Cleave has two independent etymologies.

awful is a great example



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21 Dec 2009, 10:54 pm

0_equals_true wrote:
awful is a great example


I think that's just a case of the definition changing. In fact it still signifies awe, just awe at how bad something is.



Magnus
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21 Dec 2009, 11:06 pm

Awful is my new favorite word now. Full of awe...sometimes awfully wonderful. hehe

This thread is so making the blood flow to my brain. Thanks. :D


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22 Dec 2009, 6:48 am

The "awful" example reminds me of Ivan the Terrible.
His nickname in Russian was Ivan Grozny, which kind of means awe-inspiring or mighty, but it was translated as "terrible", which kind of gives a different impression.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_IV_of_Russia
(Grozny is also the capital of Chechnya.)



0_equals_true
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05 Jan 2010, 12:52 pm

I just found a great one oversight

Keep 'em coming. You are probably not going to think of many straight away, but if you think of one or spot one post it.



anna-banana
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05 Jan 2010, 4:38 pm

skysaw wrote:
Ivan Grozny, which kind of means awe-inspiring or mighty


are you sure about that? I don't know Russian but Polish is kinda similar and it pretty much just means terrible/scary/menacing


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skysaw
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05 Jan 2010, 7:08 pm

anna-banana wrote:
skysaw wrote:
Ivan Grozny, which kind of means awe-inspiring or mighty


are you sure about that? I don't know Russian but Polish is kinda similar and it pretty much just means terrible/scary/menacing


I don't know Russian, but that's what I've heard.
I guess the English word "terrible" is kind of ambiguous itself.
All I can really add is that my guess would be that the city of Grozny was so-named not because it was terrible as in cruel or useless or unpleasant, but because it was terrible as in mighty or awe-inspiring.

(Maybe "unflattering place names" could be a subject for another thread!)