English is full of fun and useful phrases that can be more trouble than they’re worth. Sometimes things with completely opposite meanings are said exactly the same way, and sometimes things with exactly the same meaning are said in two seemingly contradictory ways. We’re going to look at one of each!
Same Pronunciation, Opposite Meaning
Imagine you are applying for a Ph. D. program at a prestigious university. In your application cover letter you write:
I am applying to your excellent graduate program. Please except me.
If you got a rejection letter from them, it’s exactly what you asked for! “Except” in this context means “to omit or excuse from”, so a refusal would be just what you specified that you wanted. If, on the other hand, you wrote:
I am applying to your excellent graduate program. Please accept me.
That would at least give you a chance. In this case, spelling really matters.
Same Meaning, Opposite Phrasing
I could care less.
I couldn’t care less.
These two phrases, while seemingly opposites, actually mean the same thing: I don’t care at all. Either one is correct, though the first seems to imply the contrary. I personally couldn’t care less which one you use, and I hope that you could care less as well. The only reason to recognize the difference between these two phrases is to recognize that there is no meaningful difference.
Autoantonyms: Twice the Confusion
Certain words seem to be designed to sabotague understanding. For example, “egregious”: does it mean “outstandingly bad”, or “shockingly good”? How about “oversight”: does it mean “careful watching” or “missing something because you didn’t see it”? In the case of autoantonyms, the answer is: Yes.
Auto-antonyms are their own opposites. The word contained in and of itself means opposite things. Sometimes those meanings can be inferred from context, and sometimes they really, really can’t.
For a longer list of autoantonyms, check out this fun website.
Variety’s the Spice!
English is a living, vital language full of contradictions and confusion—which is arguably part of its beauty. Keeping these examples in mind for the future will help you use and abuse English in the best way possible. What are your favorite expressions that seem to be opposite? Leave a comment about them below!