this post was submitted on 28 Apr 2026
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For example, "flammable" and "inflammable" both describe an object that can easily catch on fire. I can also think of "ceased" and "deceased", both of which can mean someone or something has been brought to an end.

edit: Some people are including words that can also mean its opposite (like sanction or table), those are cool too! The more weird words, the better!

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[โ€“] Okokimup@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It sounds like it should mean something flame-proof. Like destructible - indestructible.

[โ€“] square@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Yeah, adding in- as a prefix often does mean that, but it can also mean in, on, or into (among others) as a prefix or just part of the core word. And in this case inflammable comes from adding the suffix -able to inflame, a word that already starts with in- in it's into meaning. And one definition of inflame is "to burst into flames."