Verbs with no antonyms

[tgreer]

Let's keep the ball rolling, by asking for words without antonyms.

For example, what is the opposite of "exceed"?

Let's stick with verbs, because most nouns will have no antonyms.

Thomas D. Greer

Providing PostScript & PDF
Training, Development & Consulting

 

[PaulTEG]

If you're not going to drive, you're not going to drive, the Floridian context can lead to the assumption of flying, or you could be taking a bus, or a boat, depending on your location, yet the fact remains, you're not driving.

If you write something, erasing it would rub it out, but does it also erase the stylus marks underneath, or packet data which may have been picked up elsewhere, it's not so complete (ASDA tests). But for someone to have 'written' something, it's typical for it to be observed, which leads to having it rendered 'unwritten', an impossibility IMO

In the context of a verb which represents the action, I submit that the antonym of a verb should have the effect of undoing the action (completely) for it to be considered the opposite of the verb as opposed to another option which may be chosen in deference to the action.

Just my €0.02
--Paul

cigless ...

 

[CajunCenturion]

I submit that from a physics perspective, every action verb is its own antonym, since every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

Good Luck
--------------
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read FAQ181-2886
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[tsdragon]

UNdoing an action is different than NOT doing it in the first place. I think your interpretation of an antonym as undoing an action is incorrect. The opposite of doing something isn't UNdoing it, it's NOT doing it.


Tracy Dryden

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,
For you are crunchy, and good with mustard.

 

[tgreer]

... or to DO the opposite. Perform the opposite action. So the question in each case is, what IS the opposite action? In some cases, it's very clear: to plant vs. to uproot. In others, it is not: to blink. Is the opposite "to stare"?

Is there an organizing principle we could use? What is the difference between the class of verbs that have counter-verbs, and those that do not?

Is a counter-verb (just made that up) really an antonym?



Thomas D. Greer

Providing PostScript & PDF
Training, Development & Consulting

 

[CajunCenturion]

If the action is "to go left", is the opposite action "to not go left" or "to go right"?

Good Luck
--------------
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read FAQ181-2886
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[CajunCenturion]

Or is it "to go left and then turn around and go back?"

Good Luck
--------------
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read FAQ181-2886
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[tgreer]

In the context of left-goingness, to go straight is an INACTION, of sorts. It's inertia, whereas going right is an OPPOSITE ACTION.

In either case, though, the verb is "to go", and the antonym is "to stop".

So would you say that a verb's antonym is a word denoting the OPPOSITE ACTION, or simply a term that means NOT DOING the original action? If the latter, then wouldn't any other verb be an antonym? You chose to go left, but I chose to eat ice cream.





Thomas D. Greer

Providing PostScript & PDF
Training, Development & Consulting

 

[PaulTEG]

Going right" is just what "they" want you to do for various values of "they", and "Going right"

antonym =:= opposite

blacken != whiten
fly != drive

Once an action has been done, by definition, it's done. To undo an action usually requires a completely seperate action, and doesn't undo it completely (especially in a timed environment)

To "undo" a wall while holding a lump-hammer oneself, is a totally different scenario to asking a "professional" to "remodel", unless ones self is a serious UDIY* entusiast, in which case the first thing you do to undo the issue is "survey", not "knock", unless you have a really understanding spouse/partner ...

*UDIY-->UnDoItYourself

--Paul


cigless ...

 

[tgreer]

Since verbs are "doing" words, then the uber-verb is "to do". In object-oriented terms, every verb is an overload of the base verb, "to do"; or, each verb inherits from "to do". Moreover, "to do" does have an antonym: undo.

Thus the antonym of any verb is "undo". As evidence, I point to the "undo" command found in many computer applications. The UNDO reverses the last action, regardless of the particular action.

However, we're left with the uncomfortable truth that some things cannot be undone. Or can they? Can we classify verbs as having "real" undoableness, and "imaginary" undoableness, much as we do numbers? The square-root of -1 is an imaginary number, but it's still a perfectly valid number.

"You can't un-say something", we've no doubt been told. Let's grant that that is true. Does "say" have no opposite, then? Or can we take that true statement as proof of an imaginary antonym, "unsay"?



Thomas D. Greer

Providing PostScript & PDF
Training, Development & Consulting

 

[SantaMufasa]

Thomas,

Your "unsay" suggestion is a fascinating concept. Among the reasons that it sounds uncomfortable is simply because we are not used to "hearing" it. We are certainly used to hearing "undo"...why not have a comfort level with "unsay" (or, for that matter, "unhear", "unhammer", "undrink", et cetera.)

Hearing "unsay" reminds me of the incident several years ago that my sister tells of while she worked at AT&T Universal (Credit) Card customer service: A gentleman called in for help with one of AT&T's automated menus. He said that he had followed exactly the automated voice's instructions, but the system kept responding, "Invalid response -- Please re-enter choice."

My sister said, "I'll be happy to help you, sir. I'll bring up the option you were trying to use, and you can demonstrate the problem you are having."

She 3-way'ed the gentleman in with the automated menu. She instructed him to do exactly what he had done earlier when he had problems. The automated voice began its script. He wanted to check his balance on his account...the automated voice instructed, "To check your balance, Press or Say '2'...". My sister then heard the fellow's keypad response: beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.

My sister said, "But sir, you are pressing too many keys."

He said, "I'm just pressing what it told me to press...6-7-7-2-9-2."

Sister: "But why are you pressing that many keys?"

Guy: "How else can you Press 'O-R-S-A-Y-2'?"

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[

http://www.dasages.com:

Providing low-cost remote Database Admin services]
Click here to join Utah Oracle Users Group on Tek-Tips if you use Oracle in Utah USA.

 

[SilentAiche]

for some reason... you remind me of:

[blue]Two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights make a left.[/blue]

Tim, perhaps

[blue]______________________________________________________________
Once, while sitting on the bank of Stick Creek, I found myself thinking about small lakes. Then, I realized, I was probably just pondering. [/blue]