There are four people at a dinner party. By midnight, two people had left. How many people are left at the party?
Left is just one of many words or expressions known as a contronym—or contranym—a word that has two meanings that are opposite or nearly opposite. In this example, left means both "leave" (two people had left) and "remain" (How many people are left?), which are antonyms. An antonym is a word that is opposite in meaning to another.
Contronyms are also known as Janus words. Janus was an ancient Roman god with two faces that looked in opposite directions.
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CLEAVE
A classic example of a contronym is cleave. Actually, cleave comes from two different Old English words which is how it got these two opposite meanings.
⠀1) to split, to separate
Owen swung the axe down hard in order to cleave the log into two even pieces.
⠀2) to stick
Young beaver pups cleave to their mother in the water until they are strong enough to swim on their own.
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DUST
Dust, when used as a verb, is a contronym.
⠀1) to wipe the dust
He dusts bookshelves every Sunday to keep them clean.
⠀2) to sprinkle with a powder or dust
The baker liked to dust their bread with just a sprinkle of cinnamon.
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BACK UP
The expression back up has two meanings that are close, if not exact, antonyms.
⠀1) to support
Ultimately, the scientists were unable to back up their claims with hard evidence.
⠀2) to retreat
The zebras backed up when they spotted the alligators in the water.
FINE
The adjective fine has the potential to lead to some real misunderstandings about just how excellent (or not) something is.
⠀1) of superior or best quality
To prepare for the Queen's visit, the household staff cleaned the fine linens and polished the best silver.
⠀2) (informal): satisfactorily, acceptably
Sandra thought her performance was fine, but nothing special, so she was surprised when she won second place.
From Dictionary.com
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