How can something be flammable and inflammable? It’s simple — despite sounding like opposites, these words actually mean the same thing. This happens quite a bit in the English language and sometimes results in the misuse of words, so let’s unravel — or ravel out — the history behind these synonymous duos.
Overtone vs. Undertone
Overtone: (Noun) A subtle or subsidiary quality, implication, or connotation.
Undertone: (Noun) An underlying quality or feeling.
"Over" and "under" must be two of the first antonyms that children learn in school, so why — like "overcharge" and "undercharge" — aren’t "overtone" and "undertone" opposites? These words are often interchangeable, as in, "The painting has political undertones" and "The painting has political overtones."
The answer to this confusion lies in their etymologies. "Overtone" came into English in the 19th century from the German musical noun Oberton, meaning "an upper partial tone." By the end of the 19th century, "overtone" was also used figuratively to mean "a subtle implication." "Undertone" was first recorded in the late 18th century to mean an audible "low or subdued tone" and also gained a similar figurative use in the 19th century.
Terminate vs. Exterminate
Terminate: (Verb) To bring to an end.
Exterminate: (Verb) To destroy completely.
Having an insect problem at home? You could call an exterminator to terminate those pests. "Exterminate" is a verb meaning "to destroy" or, in the case of pesky insects, "to kill," which is close to what the verb "terminate" means: "to bring to an end" (or even "assassinate"). Both words have been around since the 16th century, derived from Latin: "terminate" from terminare ("end, boundary") and "exterminate" from exterminare ("driven out").
Caregiver vs. Caretaker
Caregiver: (Noun) A family member or paid helper who regularly looks after a child or a sick, elderly, or disabled person.
Caretaker: (Noun) A person employed to look after a building, people, or animals.
"Give" and "take" are opposites, but add "care" to these words and they turn up with the same meaning. Generally, "caretaker" has a broad definition to mean anything from managing an estate to being a zookeeper, and it’s usually a paid position. A caregiver tends to focus on taking care of people. "Caregiver" was coined in the 1970s, while "caretaker" has been in use since the 1760s.
Seeded vs. Seedless
Seeded: (Adjective) Having had the seeds removed.
Seedless: (Adjective) A fruit or vegetable that has no seeds.
Seedless produce contains no seeds, i.e., "seedless watermelons or grapes." Similarly, if a fruit or vegetable has been seeded, its seeds are removed (a common cooking term). "Seeded" can also be a conjugated form of the verb "to seed," meaning "to sow with seeds'' or "to plant seeds. This definition is close to the opposite of the adjective form, which also makes "seeded" a contronym, a word with two opposite meanings.
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