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antiphrasis
[ an-tif-ruh-sis ]
/ ænˈtɪf rə sɪs /
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noun Rhetoric.
the use of a word in a sense opposite to its proper meaning.
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Origin of antiphrasis
OTHER WORDS FROM antiphrasis
an·ti·phras·tic [an-ti-fras-tik], /ˌæn tɪˈfræs tɪk/, an·ti·phras·ti·cal, adjectivean·ti·phras·ti·cal·ly, adverbWords nearby antiphrasis
antiphlogistic, antiphon, antiphonal, antiphonary, antiphony, antiphrasis, Antiphus, anti-pill, antiplasmin, antiplastic, antiplatelet
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use antiphrasis in a sentence
The friend who presented me with him had given him, perhaps by antiphrasis, the startling name of Pelléas.
Our Friend the Dog|Maurice MaeterlinckInstances of antiphrasis in the names given to black slaves are very common.
The Thousand and One Nights, Vol. I.|Anonymous
British Dictionary definitions for antiphrasis
antiphrasis
/ (ænˈtɪfrəsɪs) /
noun
rhetoric the use of a word in a sense opposite to its normal one, esp for ironic effect
Word Origin for antiphrasis
C16: via Late Latin from Greek, from anti- + phrasis, from phrazein to speak
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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