Oxford Word Challenge

Contronyms: Answers

1. dust (the aircraft dusted the fields; Have you dusted this room?).

2. blessed (Blessed are the meek; I’m blessed if I will!).

3. public (public building; public school).

4. bad (That was a bad move; He’s a real bad singer).

5. trim (She trimmed the dress with lace; Trim the pastry round the edge).

6. draw (curtains).

7. trip (She tripped across the fields; He tripped over the carpet).

8. cleave (‘Shall a man cleave unto his wife?’ Genesis 2; You can cleave the log in two with an axe).

9. oversight (She has the oversight of the works; My failure to check the meter was simply an oversight).

10. left (There is one cake left; She has just left).

11. fast (a fast horse runs; a fast colour does not run).

12. mad or wild.

13. think better of (I think better of him after he saved the cat; I have thought better of telling my boss he’s a fool).

14. sanction (The king gave his sanction; They imposed sanctions on the warring parties).

15. industrial action.

16. no question (There is no question that he is stupid; There’s no question of my giving in).

17. quantum leap (In physics, this name means a sudden change in an atom or molecule; in general use it means a huge change).

18. wind up (The company was wound up; The clock started when I wound it up).

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