Up and down
“Are you up for that?” “Yeah, I’m down”
this post was submitted on 28 Apr 2026
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"Are you down for that?" "Yeah, I'm up"
Dust. Dust the shelf, dust the loaf with flour.
Well, this is the opposite thing (same word meaning opposite) but if you ask me it's the same.
EDIT: For some that fit better:
- thaw / unthaw
- terminate / exterminate
- valuable / invaluable
- caregiver / caretaker
I think valuable / invaluable actually have different meanings. Something which is invaluable, is so important a value should not be assigned.
invaluable would be equivalent to priceless.
Priceless and worthless mean the same
Don't @ me
Valuable member of society
Invaluable member of society
Neither case leads to a tangible valuation of the member as both have positive meanings. Invaluable is sort of like valuable+1, but both are just invaluable superlatives.
Caregiver/caretaker is a fun one I had never considered.
That's called a contronym, which (as you said) is different than what OP is looking for
"flammable" and "inflammable" both describe an object that can easily catch on fire.
WHAT A COUNTRY!
Hi Dr.Nick!
Two examples where erroneous usage has resulted in this paradox:
-
Regardless and irregardless
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"I couldn't care less" and "I could care less"
I don't think either were ever said by competently literate people (wtf is "irregardless"? And do they mean they could "care less" about a subject or do they mean the opposite but don't understand negation?) so idk if this fits what OP was saying entirely. They're just obvious mistakes that have been normalized as people got dumber, right?
Irregardless means “without a lack of regard”. Ergo vis-à-vis if you say irregardless you are actually fully regarded
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Literally means either literally or figuratively, and context doesn't really help.
Literally literally means figuratively, or literally, however figuratively literally only means figuratively.
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I think the word 'unironically' has started to fill the void left behind after the word 'literally' was changed to mean 'figuratively'
Really, it's a way to spot a bad dictionary.
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This is kinda the opposite to what you are asking: awesome and awful used to mean the same thing IIRC, both being something filling you with awe. Later the meanings split between positive and negative.
Same with terrible and terrific.
As a non-native English speaker, I always have to think a second extra about "terrific", about it being negative or positive. Probably because it sound similar to "terrible".
Or as an analog: horror - terror, horrific - terrific.
You're right to think that, because that's how both words began!
I often thought awful was an odd word. Surely awful = full of awe, but it is frequently used to describe things that have little to no awe.
Also I have now said the word awe too much and it looks strange.
My guess is it came about because people were using it to mean "something so bad it fills you with awe". Like "the thing humans are doing to the environment are awful". But then it lost its connection to awe.
That's my guess.
To bone and to debone both mean to remove bones from something, typically food.
Similarly, peel and unpeel.
Hulled means either the hull is still present or has been removed.
Unpitted DO have pits, and pitted have NO pits.
Sounds so backwards. The problem is they're referring to the verb of the word "pit", meaning "removing the pit". So "unpitted" means "not removing the pit". So dumb.
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Cleave
For Australians, yeah, yeah nah, yeah yeah nah, nah, nah yeah nah, nah nah yeah, all have subtly different positive and/or negative meanings, often dependent on the situation.
Sanction can mean a punishment or an authorization.
Came up in a DND game where a devil's contract said the players crossing the region would be sanctioned, or something like that. Players thought it meant they had permission, fine print said they would be punished.
It means authorized decision. The decision can be a punishment.
One that sorta works:
it's all uphill / downhill from here -> it's only going to get worse
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Ravel and unravel can both mean to take apart something that was knitted or woven.
In French there is personne (someone) and personne (no one), plus (more) and plus (no more)
Not the original question you asked, but fits in with your edit:
Priceless and worthless are opposites
The undead are dead.
Garnish can either be an enhancing addition such as in a dish, or to take something away such as garnishing wages.
You can lease/rent something to a tenant... Or you can lease/rent something from someone.
The informal definition of "literally" is an exaggeration of something that is not literally true. Inn other words, figuratively.
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Slightly different, but single words meaning multiple conflicting things seem to come to mind more readily:
- Drop meaning both to abandon or release a product
- Table meaning both put something aside or putting up for discussion
- Literally meaning both literal and figurative
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I literally can't believe this thread.
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