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Opposite meaning

Concept
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A use of language where meaning is directly reversed or contradicted.

Detailed Definition
Opposite meaning occurs when a word or phrase is used to signify its antonym, either through irony, contextual reversal, or poetic paradox (e.g., “bitter sweet”), challenging literal interpretation and deepening semantic ambiguity or emotional nuance.
Example
Example in poetry:
Using the word 'bitter' to mean sweet (sarcasm or irony); A line that says "I am well" when the context clearly implies the speaker is gravely ill; A character described as a 'genius' when they consistently demonstrate ignorance; A poem that praises a subject but is intended to be read as a harsh critique;
Additional Notes
Opposite meaning: The use of words or phrases that directly contradict the literal or implied meaning of another part of the poem; the core technique of irony or paradox.
Also Known As
antonym opposite sense inverse meaning Antiphrasis
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