An antonym of a word is another word which means the opposite of the first word. The word antonym itself was coined in the 19th century, when a concerted effort was being made to classify and categorize the words in the English language, as the antonym of the previously-existing word synonym, which means “a word that has the same meaning.” Both of these words come from the Greek root onoma (“name”) with the prefixes anti- (“against, opposite”) and syn- (“with, same”). In general, the antonym of a word only corresponds to one of that word’s meanings. For example, the word fast has several antonyms, depending on the meaning you assign to it:

– if fast means “quick” then one antonym is “slow”
– if fast means “refrain from eating” then an antonym might be “overeat”
– if fast means “stuck firmly” then its antonym is “loose”

Here are five verbs that are unusual because they can be their own antonyms:

overlook
A common meaning for to overlook is “to not notice.” However, it can also mean “to supervise or inspect,” which implies that even the minor details of something are being noticed.
Example: Anna was assigned to overlook the publication of the monthly magazine because her former supervisor assured us that she would never overlook even the smallest typographical error.

weather
“To weather” means something different depending on whether the verb is transitive (describing an action) or intransitive (describing a state of being).
Example: The strongly-built ship was able to weather the storm and come safely back to port, but the ice floes weathered away the paint along both sides during the six months it was in the Arctic Ocean.

sanction
Depending on the context, if you sanction something it can mean either that you approve of it, or that you disapprove of it. This holds true whether you use this word as a verb or as a noun.
Example: The bilateral commission plans to sanction the use of military force against the dictator and his supporters, while imposing sanctions against any other country that supplies them with arms or other support.

dust
This verb can be used to talk about adding something or taking it away.
Example: George let the children dust the cakes with powdered sugar, but then spent several hours dusting all the countertops to get rid of the sugar they spilled.cleave
“To cleave” can mean either to cut apart or to stick together.
Example: When the butcher cleaves the carcass of a pig into pieces, he has to be careful afterwards to wash off all the bits of bone and skin that cleave to his boots, apron, and arms.

If you’re a Scrabble player, you’ll be familiar with the frustration of drawing a rack full of vowels, and thinking you’ll have to settle for a six-point word. However, you might be able to pull off a 50-point bonus if you manage to use all of those vowels in just the right way. Here are five vowel-intensive words that will have you ululating* with joy:

aqueous (AH-kwee-us) adjective
Definition: Made mostly of water; watery.
Etymology: From the Latin word aqua (“water”).
Example: George looked suspiciously at the bowl of aqueous pink liquid the waiter placed in front of him, not at all convinced that it was a true Russian borscht.

onomatopoeia (ah-nuh-mah-tuh-PEE-uh) noun
Definition: A word that when pronounced makes the sound of what it describes.
Etymology: From the Greek roots onoma (“name”) and poiein (“to make”).
Example: Sizzle, hiss, zip, and buzz are all examples of onomatopoeia.

audacious (aw-DAY-shuss) adjective
Definition: Bold, confident, tending to take risks; also, impudent or disrespectful.
Etymology: From the Latin root word audax (“brave, daring”).
Example 1: Emily’s audacious decision to open her business ten years ago in the run-down warehouse district allowed her to sign a lease at a much lower cost than the other business owners who arrived after the area was gentrified.
Example 2: I don’t think Hannah looks very good in yellow either, but I would never be so audacious as to say it to her face!

facetious (fuh-SEE-shuss) adjective
Definition: Using (often inappropriate) humor while pretending to be serious; flippant.
Etymology: From the Latin word for “witty” (facetus).
Example: My son told me he really wanted to work at McDonald’s after he graduates, but I’m sure he was being facetious.

equipoise (EH-kwih-poyz) noun
Definition: Balance, equlibrium.
Etymology: From the Latin roots aequus (“even, level”) and pesum (“weight”).
Example: The Balancing Rock outcrops in Zimbabwe are amazing examples of naturally-formed granite boulders in perfect equipoise.

* To ululate means to make a high-pitched trilling tone.

If you live in the Northern hemisphere, the temperature outside is probably going up about now, and you’ve long since packed away the woolen jackets and hats and brought out the light, cool fabrics of summer. The thinner a fabric is, the cooler you’ll be wearing it. Shirts and skirts for summer are often diaphanous, made of loosely-woven cotton or thin silk. The adjective diaphanous refers to something that is so thin and transparent that light will shine through it easily. Synonyms of diaphanous include gossamer, insubstantial, and translucent; antonyms are opaque, weighty, and solid.

Example: The bride was draped with a diaphanous veil that fell to the floor, allowing hints of the elaborate embroidery on her dress to show through.

The word comes from the Greek root phainein (“to show” or “to cause to appear”) with the prefix dia- (“through, across”). The inventor of the transparent plastic wrap cellophane gave it its name using this same root word.

The word translucent also means “letting light shine through” and in this case, the roots of the word are much easier to spot. The prefix trans- (which also means “through” or “across” or “beyond”) is a common one, appearing in words like transfer and transpose and transcontinental. You can see the root word meaning “to shine” (the Latin verb lucere) in other words as well, such as illuminate and lustrous.

Another word that means “letting light shine through” is pellucid, which adds per- (another prefix meaning “through” – think of the words permeable and perforate) to the root word lucere. This word can also be used in the metaphoric sense of “clear” to mean “easy to understand.”

We hope you’ve gotten a clear idea about all of the different words that can be used to express the concept of transparent!

O Fortuna, velut luna statu variabilis, semper crescis aut decrescis; vita detestabilis nunc obdurat et tunc curat ludo mentis aciem, egestatem, potestatem dissolvit ut glaciem.

These words from the 13th-century poem “Carmina Burana” express humanity’s eternal frustration at the vicissitudes of life: those ups and downs you can’t predict or control, from the hurricane that flattens your house to the winning lottery ticket that allows you to buy new home in St. Tropez. Fortuna was the Roman goddess of luck, and we get the word vicissitude from the Latin word vicis, meaning “change, turn.” In general, this noun is used in its plural form vicissitudes to describe a change that happens more or less regularly, or that is part of a cycle, and often refers to something that has changed for the worse.

Example 1: Andrew hasn’t found a new position since he was laid off, but rather than updating his resume and job skills, he just complains about the vicissitudes of the current economy and sits at home playing video games.

Example 2: I’d like to plant lemon and orange trees in my garden, but the vicissitudes of the weather in this part of the country would leave them vulnerable to sudden freezes.

If you’re feeling like you’re not making any progress on your English vocabulary study lately, just keep practicing, and you’ll soon see the results of your efforts. Remember, an excellent English vocabulary will give you the skills and abilities you need to weather any change in your fortunes.

“O Fortune, like the moon you are ever changing, always waxing or waning; this hateful life is first brutal to us, and then pampers us, on a whim; it melts both poverty and power like ice.”