There’s actually a whole class of these words. They’re called heterological words.
Their opposite, autological (or homological) words are words that do describe themselves. “Autological” is an autological word because it describes itself.
Here’s a fun question, though: is “heterological” a heterological word? If you say yes, then that means it does not describe itself and therefore it is not heterological. If you say no, then it does describe itself therefore it is heterological. Bit of a head scratcher.
There’s actually a whole class of these words. They’re called heterological words.
Their opposite, autological (or homological) words are words that do describe themselves. “Autological” is an autological word because it describes itself.
Here’s a fun question, though: is “heterological” a heterological word? If you say yes, then that means it does not describe itself and therefore it is not heterological. If you say no, then it does describe itself therefore it is heterological. Bit of a head scratcher.
This is the Grelling-Nelson paradox.
You’re the substitute teacher who wouldn’t let us play Heads Up Seven Up.
My favorite homological word:
Sesquipedalian.
An unnecessarily long word, or a person who uses unnecessarily long words.
Sesquipedalian is a sesquipedalian word.