14 Contranyms and Skunk Terms That Make a Mockery of the English Language
The English language is always changing, and that’s both a beautiful and a deeply stupid thing. Linguistics nerds who treat words with respect have just as much say in the direction of the language as the army of 12-year-olds spouting nonsense in Fortnite 24/7. That’s how an easily definable word like “literally” comes to mean the exact opposite over the course of a few years.
That’s what those linguistics nerds call a “skunked term” — a word whose definition changes so frequently, or has become its own antonym (i.e., a “contranym”), that it can easily be taken out of context if you’re not careful.
Humbled
It used to mean “brought low,” but now it means “honored.” Carrie wasn’t humbled to win Prom Queen, she was humbled when they dumped a bucket of pig blood on her head.
Cleave
This word is an unholy amalgam of two completely different Old English root words: clēofan and clifian. The former means to separate, the latter means to join together. Because they sounded kind of similar, the word “cleave” now represents both meanings.
‘It’s All Downhill From Here’
We use this to mean shit’s only going to get worse. But if you think about it, downhill is the easiest direction to go on a hill! It originally meant everything was about to get easier.
Dust, Seed, Stone
These can mean “to add granular particles” (dusting a cake) or “to remove granular particles” (dusting a windowsill). It’s comforting to imagine Amelia Bedelia serving up pulverized skin particles to Paul Hollywood.
‘A Steep Learning Curve’
In academic circles in the 1920s, this meant that a skill could be picked up quickly and easily. When the general public got a hold of it in the 1970s, they began using it to refer to a skill that’s actually quite hard to acquire.
Table
Tell a British politician to table something, and they’re going to put it on the agenda. Tell an American politician to table something, and they’re going to strike it from the agenda (and, unrelated, demand to see your genitals).
Sanction
If you tell a politician on either side of the pond to “sanction” something, you’ll have to specify whether you mean to permit or to penalize.
Data
We’re in the midst of an epic battle of nerds against plebes. When someone says the phrase “the data are correct,” it feels deeply unnatural, but is in fact the correct usage. The singular of “data” is “datum,” which would be just as jarring to hear.
Disinterested
When someone is described as disinterested, they sound flighty, distracted or aloof. A disinterested judge, for example, sounds like a scatterbrained Jenna Maroney character. But the word originally meant unbiased and impartial — crucial characteristics for a judge.
Enormity
You might think that “enormous” and “enormity” are directly related, and you’d be right and wrong. They both have roots in the Latin word enormitatem, meaning “vast and irregular.” But their definitions split in Olde French: “enormous” means “huge,” while “enormity” came to refer to an irregular transgression or crime. “Enormity” took a turn from “wickedness” toward “hugeness” around the late 18th century.
Hopeful, Hateful
“Hopefully” originally meant to do something in a hopeful manner, but in the 1960s, we started using it to mean “I sure do hope.” So let’s look at the sentence “The boy hopefully left a plate of cookies for Santa.” Using the modern meaning, you’d only say that if you actually were Santa (and were feeling a bit peckish).
Inflammable
This may be the most dangerous contranym in the English language. Dr. Nick was right: the prefix -in means “not,” but English speakers have decided to ignore that in this particular case. To avoid deadly confusion, there’s been a concerted effort to normalize the word “nonflammable.”
‘Awful, Pompous and Artificial’
Legend has it that either Charles II or Queen Anne committed a faux pas by describing St. Paul’s Cathedral as “awful, pompous and artificial” when they meant “awe-inspiring, majestic and ingeniously designed.”
Ejaculate
You absolute pervs made this word all about semen, but it originally meant to “exclaim.”
