Why some words are their own opposites
Nebula – Indie Streaming [Unofficial]
May 1, 2026
Why does "sanction" mean to punish AND to permit? How can "bolt" mean to fix in place AND to run away? Such self-contradictory words are known as contronyms and English has many of them. In this video, I investigate how they come about.
Plus my friend and "quite good" YouTuber Evan Edinger talks us through some transatlantic opposites.
Discussion in the ATmosphere