What would this be called?

[Anonymous]

Is there a term for words that sound like they should be opposites but mean the same thing or actually similar? Such as flammable and inflammable, genius and ingenious, bone and debone, etc...?

Technically, they wouldn't be called synonyms. Thought maybe there was a clever word to describe them.

If not, maybe we could call them "synonomous antonyms"?

 

[RonBee]

Perhaps:

• pseudo-antonym

 

[Tdol]

That's an interesting question- I'm going to have to go and search around for the answer. I'll come back to you. ;-)