Antonymous Synonyms

Xah Lee, 2004-06-02

seemingly antonyms, but more truly synonyms or semi- or demi-synonyms. The criterion is that words syntactically indicate opposite in meaning but actually similar in meaning.

• cry, decry | you can cry, as in crying out loud, but you can also decry, by crying out loud
• linear, rectilinear | linear argebra, rectilinear motion. Rectilinear is the linearness of motion.
• enfranchise, franchise |
• flammable, inflammable | my wound has inflamed like a wild flame.
• famous, infamous | good guys are famous, bad guys are infamous.
• title, entitle | I'm entitled to title a book of my own penmanship. Title is to emphasize identification. To entitle a book is to emphasize titling.
• kindle, enkindle |
• Amend, emend | I amend text by emending.
• overwhelm, whelm | We could say that men are whelmed, women are overwhelmed.
• shamed, ashamed | I'm ashamed to be shamed in publid. Ashamed is shaming of shame. (while, sleep/asleep, wake/awake probably do not make this list.)
• commend, recommend | I commend his recommendation. Commend is like a positive recommendation.
• regardless, irregardless | irregardless of the ir prefix, it means the same as without.
• indiscriminate, undiscriminate | both words are indiscriminate or undiscriminate.
• stressed, distressed | I'm distressed to be so stressed or vice versa. Stress brings us pressure and strain, distress brings up anguish and panic.
• fatigable, indefatigable |
• bone, debone |
• nude, denuded |
• guise, disguise |
• haste, posthaste |
• genius, ingenious | ingenious is as if something done by a genius.
• cute, acute |
• cease, decease |
• kin, akin |

In the grand language of English, a- anti- dis- un- im- ir- in- de- all jostle for opposition. Unwittingly, to wit: aperiodic; antihero, antipathy, antithesis; peccable, impeccable; maculate, immaculate; pervious, impervious, impure; irregular, indifferent, detached/attached, insensible, impartial, dispassionate, unbiased, apathetic, impassive, unfeeling, disinterested, uninterested, untouched, irresponsible, disdain.

Synonymous “Antonyms”

Note: these may not be antonyms, but just not synonyms. The criterion is that words syntactically similar in meaning but semantically not.

• same, indifferent | indiferent means impartial.
• impart, impartial |
• disinterested, uninterested | the former means impartial, the latter of no interest.
• rest, restive | restive means jumpy.
• ingenuous, disingenuous | ingenuous = artless, naive. disingenuous = crafty, cunning.
• dubitable, redoubtable |
• light, alight |
• scribe, describe |
• recondite, recondition |
• reduce, deduce |
• fair, affair |

If you know any, please email me. Thanks to Joshua Freeman, John Seal for addition.