Words which contradict each other

Words Related to contradictory. Near Antonyms for contradictory. Antonyms for contradictory. Frequently Asked Questions About contradictory How does the adjective contradictory differ from other similar words?

Learn More About contradictory. Share contradictory Post more words for contradictory to Facebook Share more words for contradictory on Twitter. Time Traveler for contradictory The first known use of contradictory was in the 14th century See more words from the same century. Style: MLA. Get Word of the Day daily email!

Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes. Improve this answer. Barrie England Barrie England k 10 10 gold badges silver badges bronze badges. Thanks Barrie England that's the word I was looking for, and thanks iterums for the wiki link; it has good examples. See also: Army Intelligence — user I think there might be a more specific rhetorical term for using an oxymoron in this way, but I couldn't find it.

The term oxymoron is reserved for a succinct version. A true contradiction in terms is just a 'contradiction in terms'. So, since your two opposites are side by side, "oxymoron" is correct, as mentioned before. Lloyd Barker Lloyd Barker Featured on Meta.

Clip To connect as with a paper clip or to detach as in clipping your hedge. Fix To repair as in putting together or to castrate as in cutting apart. Garnish To add to as with food preparation or to take away as with wages.

Handicap An advantage to insure equality, as in golf or a disadvantage that prevents or minimizes equal achievement. Hold up To support as in Liberty holding up the torch or to impede as in holding up legislation.

Lease To rent property, or to offer property for rent. Out Visible as with the moon or invisible as with an electric light. Skin To remove as in skinning an animal for its fur. Trim To decorate as with a Christmas tree or to remove excess as with a mustache. Wind up To start as with a clock or to end as with a business. How do these contradictory meanings come about? We don't always know, but they do originate in different ways. For example, cleave to adhere or to separate come from Old English roots, the first from clifian and the second from cleofan.

Oversight probably resulted from confusion of the verbs overlook and oversee when people started the use them in nouns. Other contronyms such as seed and dust probably had similar origins when verbs were appended to describe how they were to be moved. Dusting involves either adding dust or removing dust. Seeds are scattered during planting, but removed from the resulting fruit. Need even more definitions?

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