# Words that mean the opposite of what they are. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 27, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-opposite-of-what-they-are/555259 "2010-09-27T19:52:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-opposite-of-what-they-are/555259/1 "2010-09-27T19:52:25Z")
Colloquial Long ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-opposite-of-what-they-are/555259/2 "2010-09-27T20:18:15Z")
Big Diminutive ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-opposite-of-what-they-are/555259/3 "2010-09-27T20:36:00Z")
abbreviated ETA: monosyllabic ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-opposite-of-what-they-are/555259/4 "2010-09-27T20:43:52Z")
Serpentine. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-opposite-of-what-they-are/555259/5 "2010-09-27T20:47:27Z")
Non-English ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-opposite-of-what-they-are/555259/6 "2010-09-27T20:53:31Z")
[Heterological](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/heterological). Well, maybe not. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-opposite-of-what-they-are/555259/7 "2010-09-27T21:16:05Z")
invisible ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-opposite-of-what-they-are/555259/8 "2010-09-27T21:18:16Z")
Unwritten. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-opposite-of-what-they-are/555259/9 "2010-09-27T21:19:03Z")
syllable ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-opposite-of-what-they-are/555259/10 "2010-09-27T21:20:43Z")
White ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-opposite-of-what-they-are/555259/11 "2010-09-27T21:23:23Z")
Cromulent ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-opposite-of-what-they-are/555259/12 "2010-09-27T21:25:30Z")
incomprehensible ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-opposite-of-what-they-are/555259/13 "2010-09-27T21:27:51Z")
infinite ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-opposite-of-what-they-are/555259/14 "2010-09-27T21:31:50Z")
> [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](#): > > incomprehensible What? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-opposite-of-what-they-are/555259/15 "2010-09-27T21:32:34Z")
inconceivable ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-opposite-of-what-they-are/555259/16 "2010-09-27T21:37:42Z")
> [@enderw24](#): > > > [@superfluous parentheses](#): > > > > incomprehensible > > what? Incomprehensible! ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-opposite-of-what-they-are/555259/17 "2010-09-27T21:40:24Z")
Miniscule. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-opposite-of-what-they-are/555259/18 "2010-09-27T21:50:35Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > inconceivable I don’t think that means what you think it means. “Wait INflamable means FLAMABLE!!” -Doctor Nick, The Simpsons ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-opposite-of-what-they-are/555259/19 "2010-09-28T00:47:57Z")
abridged ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2010, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-mean-the-opposite-of-what-they-are/555259/20 "2010-09-28T01:11:53Z")
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