Janus Words

You say goodbye, I say hello

Welcome to “Off the Clock,” a little something that lands somewhere between Timeless & Timely.

I send out this fun look at language and words every other Saturday as bonus content. If someone sent this to you, please consider subscribing.

I owe you an apology. Since 2025 rounded the bend, I’ve had less time to spend on this section of the newsletter. I guess you could say I’ve been on the clock too much.

January is typically the time of the year for reflection, of looking forward as we look back, and preparing for the year. Named for Janus, the Roman god of portals, transitions, beginnings and endings, and time, Janus is always depicted as having two faces, each looking in the opposite direction.

In that spirit, I thought we might look at Janus words today. Janus words are words that have a meaning but that can also mean the opposite.

Also known as contranyms, antagonistic terms, auto-antonyms, or even by the Greek term enantiosemes, there are numerous examples that show the wonderful flexibility and complexity of our language.

Step through the portal with me to look at a few examples of Janus words: