Words that used to mean the complete opposite

Words don't hold still. They drift, they flip, and every so often one wakes up meaning the exact reverse of what it started as. You're using at least three of these today with total confidence, blissfully unaware that a medieval person would be appalled.

Nice once meant foolish or ignorant, from a Latin word for "not knowing." Calling someone nice was an insult. Now it's the blandest compliment there is, which is arguably its own kind of insult.

Awful used to mean "worthy of awe," a genuine high compliment. Something awful was magnificent. Now it means the opposite, and "awesome" quietly stole the old job.

Silly started out meaning blessed, then happy, then innocent, then harmless, then feeble, and finally landed on foolish. That's the full slide from holy to goofy.

Terrific literally meant "causing terror." A terrific storm was a threat, not a rave review. Somewhere along the way terror became enthusiasm.

Egregious once meant remarkably good, standing out from the flock. Now it only stands out for being remarkably bad.

Naughty comes from "naught," meaning nothing. To be naughty was to have nothing, to be poor. It drifted to wicked, then softened to a word for mischievous children.

Bully was once a term of affection, close to "sweetheart" or "fine fellow." Hence "bully for you," which used to be sincere.

Artificial meant "full of artistic skill," a mark of craftsmanship. Now it means fake. The artistry got demoted.

Clue was a ball of thread. You literally followed your clue out of a maze, which is why detectives still follow one today.

Fantastic meant existing only in the imagination, unreal. Now it's the highest praise, which is a bit of a downgrade for reality.

The takeaway: a word's meaning is basically a rumor everyone agreed to believe. Which is the exact energy of one particular game.