What is a contranym?

What’s the definition of a contranym?

A contranym is also referred to as a Janus word. Janus was a Roman god who had two faces that were positioned in opposite directions. The reason contranyms are called Janus words is because a contranym is a single word, spelled in one way, that can have multiple opposite meanings.

Contranyms vs. antonyms vs. synonyms

Even though contranyms are words that have opposite meanings, they’re not to be confused with antonyms. Antonyms are words that have opposing meanings from each other, like hot and cold or wet and dry. Synonyms are words that have similar or like meanings to each other. On the contrast, a contranym is a singular word that has multiple meanings. The word’s meanings are what are opposite from each other.

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When should you use contranyms?

Be mindful of using contranyms in your writing. You should confirm if the word is a contranym before trying to use it. To confirm whether or not you’re using a contranym, look up the word’s definition in an official dictionary. Examine how many meanings the word has and if any of those meanings are opposite from each other. Next, practice using the word in the correct context so that your sentence makes sense. You’ll know that your word isn’t a contranym, or isn’t properly placed in your writing, if at least one of the word’s definitions doesn’t make sense in the placement of the sentence.

Examples of how to properly use contranyms

To help you gain clarity on how to properly use contranyms, here’s some examples that may help you:

They left the party.

In this example, left is a contranym. The sentence uses left to describe people leaving a party. However, left can also mean how many of something or someone are remaining. For example, you may also say:

There are 30 people left at the party.

Another example of how you can use a contranym is:

She trimmed the tree with decorations at the holiday party.

Versus

He got his hair trimmed at the barber shop.

In the above examples, trimmed is a contranym. The word is the same in both sentences, but the meanings are opposite based on the context. In the first sentence, trimmed describes how the woman added decorations to a tree. In the second example, trimmed describes how much hair he had removed.

Other contranyms you may use when you speak or write are:

• Buckle
• Clip
• Dust
• Fast
• Fix
• Garnish
• Lease
• Let
• Mean
• Overlook

Whenever you’re wanting to use a contranym, double check the definitions of the word so that you’re using it correctly. You should recheck definitions no matter what because it can help ensure your writing is clear and that you’re not confusing words that might be commonly mixed up, like except and accept, or homophones like two, too, and to.