Auto-antonym

An auto-antonym (also called a contronym) is a word that can have two opposite meanings. That means when you use this word, it can mean one thing or its exact opposite, depending on the context.

Let's take an example: the word "dust." When you hear the word "dust," you might think of cleaning dust from your room with a feather duster. This is one meaning of dust. However, the word "dust" can also mean to add dust or dirt to something, as in "dusting a cake with powdered sugar." In this sense, it is the opposite of its original meaning.

So, an auto-antonym is a special kind of word that makes it hard to understand what someone means when they use it. That's why it's important always to consider the context to figure out which meaning the speaker or writer is intending to convey.