17/05/2026
A contronym (also spelled contraonym) is a single word that has two opposite or contradictory meanings depending on how it is used. Because of this, they are often called "Janus words" (after the Roman god with two faces looking in opposite directions) or "antagonyms."
They are fascinating quirks of the English language where the exact same word can mean both "yes" and "no" or "action" and "inaction."