#autoantonyms

Janus Words: When a Word Means Its Own Opposite 🤯

Imagine using a word in your essay that means one thing to you—but the exact opposite to your reader. Sounds like a recipe for confusion, right? Welcome to the wonderfully weird world of Janus words.

Named after Janus, the two-faced Roman god who looks both forward and backward, Janus words (also called auto-antonyms or contronyms) are words that contain opposite meanings within the same spelling. 🎭

Yes, you read that right. These words are walking contradictions.

Examples That Might Twist Your Brain:

Dust • To dust a cake = add sugar • To dust a shelf = remove particles

Sanction • The school sanctioned the event = approved • The country was hit with sanctions = punished

Oversight • He had oversight of the project = supervised • It was an oversight = a mistake from lack of attention

Left • She left the room = departed • One cookie left = remains

Weather • The house weathered the storm = survived • The paint was weathered = worn down

Why Should You Care?

Aside from being incredibly cool, Janus words are a reminder of how quirky and nuanced English can be. For college-bound students, especially essay writers, they’re a caution sign: Context is everything. A word isn’t always what it seems. Just because it’s in the dictionary doesn’t mean it’s working for your sentence.

But on the flip side (see what we did there?), Janus words are also an opportunity—to play with language, to surprise your reader, and to show depth in your writing.

An autoantonym, also known as a contronym or Janus word, is a word with two opposite meanings: 

All over: Can mean available everywhere or available no longer 

Anxious: Can mean looking forward to or dreading 

Arguing: Can mean asserting or denying 

Fast: Can mean fixed in place or moving quickly 

Cleave: Can mean to adhere firmly or to divide 

Off: Can mean to activate or to deactivate 

Separate: Can mean to clip a lock of hair or to attach several pages together 

Buckle: Can mean to fasten securely or to collapse by bending 

Check: Can mean an amount of money given to an individual or an amount of money an individual owes to another party 

Chuffed: Can mean displeased or disgruntled or pleased or satisfied 

Citation: Can mean commendation or a summons to appear in court 

Oversight: Can mean an accidental error or close supervision 

Refrain: Can mean to keep from doing or to repeat 

Sanction: Can mean to allow or permit or to ban or penalize 

⚠️ Many words in English have contradictory meanings, e.g., “sanction” = ‘to allow’ or ‘to prohibit.’  

Others include “clip” (to cut 💇🏻; to attach 📎) and “bolt” (to fasten in place 🔩; to run away 🏃🏻‍♀️💨).  

Such contradictory words are called by many names: Janus words, autoantonyms, and contronyms.  

💁🏻‍♂️ When you write or speak, give your audience the necessary context to distinguish which meaning you are using.

⚠️🤯 Many words in English have contradictory meanings.

For example,

CLIP = fasten together 🖇️; cut apart ✂️

Here’s a list of other autoantonyms (aka contronyms, Janus words).

⚠️ Many words in English have contradictory meanings, e.g., “sanction” = ‘to allow’ or ‘to prohibit.’  

Others include “clip” (to cut 💇🏻; to attach 📎) and “bolt” (to fasten in place 🔩; to run away 🏃🏻‍♀️💨).  

Such contradictory words are called by many names: Janus words, autoantonyms, and contronyms.  

💁🏻‍♂️ When you write or speak, give your audience the necessary context to distinguish which meaning you are using.

⚠️ Many words in English have contradictory meanings, e.g., “sanction” = ‘to allow’ or ‘to prohibit.’  

Others include “clip” (to cut 💇🏻; to attach 📎) and “bolt” (to fasten in place 🔩; to run away 🏃🏻‍♀️💨).  

Such contradictory words are called by many names: Janus words, autoantonyms, and contronyms.  

💁🏻‍♂️ When you write or speak, give your audience the necessary context to distinguish which meaning you are using.

⚠️ Many words in English have contradictory meanings, e.g., “sanction” = ‘to allow’ or ‘to prohibit.’  

Others include “clip” (to cut 💇🏻; to attach 📎) and “bolt” (to fasten in place 🔩; to run away 🏃🏻‍♀️💨).  

Such contradictory words are called by many names: Janus words, autoantonyms, and contronyms.  

💁🏻‍♂️ When you write or speak, give your audience the necessary context to distinguish which meaning you are using.

⚠️ Many words in English have contradictory meanings, e.g., “sanction” = ‘to allow’ or ‘to prohibit.’  

Others include “clip” (to cut 💇🏻; to attach 📎) and “bolt” (to fasten in place 🔩; to run away 🏃🏻‍♀️💨).  

Such contradictory words are called by many names: Janus words, autoantonyms, and contronyms.  

💁🏻‍♂️ When you write or speak, give your audience the necessary context to distinguish which meaning you are using.

🔗 Here’s a list of other contronyms.