- The English language can be complicated and difficult to learn, from hard-to-spell words to words that are spelled the same by mean different things.
- It is also filled with quirky phrases that often leave foreigners baffled.
- "Contronyms" take the cake. These are words that have two opposite meanings.
- For example, to "clip" can mean to cut apart or to attach together.
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If you clip something, are you cutting it or attaching it together? If something is transparent, is it invisible or obvious?
The answer, confusingly, could be either one.
A "contronym" is a word that has two contradictory meanings, and the English language is full of them.
Here are 15 common words that can mean two completely different things.
Literally
"Literally" can mean in a literal or figurative sense.
Variety
"Variety" can mean a particular type or many types.
Clip
To "clip" can mean to cut apart or to attach together.
Weather
To "weather" can mean to wear away or to withstand.
Dust
To "dust" can mean to remove dust or to sprinkle something with a powder.
Consult
"Consult" can mean to seek advice or to give professional advice.
Bill
"Bill" can mean a paper bill of money or an invoice for a payment if someone owes money.
Overlook
To "overlook" can mean to fail to notice or to see from a higher position.
Buckle
"Buckle" can mean to fasten something together or to break or collapse.
Refrain
A "refrain" can mean a repeating phrase or verse in a song or poem, while in verb form it can mean to stop doing something.
Leave
To "leave" can mean to depart or to leave something behind.
Sanction
"Sanction" can mean to approve or to boycott.
Peruse
To "peruse" can mean to read something carefully or to skim it.
Out of
"Out of" can mean outside or inside: "getting out of the house" versus "working out of a home office."
Transparent
"Transparent" can mean invisible or obvious.
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