oxymoron figure of speech definition

Definition of Oxymoron

Common examples of oxymoron, usage of oxymoron in speech or writing, famous oxymorons, difference between oxymoron and paradox, writing oxymoron.

Here are instances in which it’s effective to use oxymoron in writing:

Demonstrate Linguistic Skill

Enhance drama.

Oxymoron can enhance drama in writing. This is especially achieved if the word pairing reveals intensity or a great difference in quality. For example, if a character receives a  painful smile,  this creates a significant dramatic effect. Smiles are rarely associated with pain. Therefore, the reader is left in some suspense to wonder what events or feelings would result in such a response received by the character.

Create Humor

Indicate irony, examples of oxymoron in literature, example #1: romeo and juliet (william shakespeare).

Good night, good night! parting is such sweet sorrow , That I shall say good night till it be morrow.

Example #2:  Don Juan  (George Gordon, Lord Byron)

It is an awful topic–but ‘t is not My cue for any time to be terrific: For checker’d as is seen our human lot With good, and bad, and worse, alike prolific Of melancholy merriment, to quote Too much of one sort would be soporific;– Without, or with, offence to friends or foes, I sketch your world exactly as it goes.

In this poem , Lord Byron uses the oxymoron “melancholy merriment” to describe the feelings and connections between sadness and joy. This oxymoron is symbolic of the human condition as reflected in the poet’s mention of “our human lot.” In addition, this oxymoron supports and complements the balance of oppositions featured in the rest of the poem’s structure, such as good and bad, without or with, and friends or foes.

Example #3:  Funeral Blues (W.H. Auden)

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone, Silence the pianos and with muffled drum Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

In this poem, Auden utilizes the oxymoron “juicy bone.” Of course, a bone is generally considered dry and the opposite of juicy. However, a bone may seem juicy to a dog that is salivating at the thought of chewing it. Also, this oxymoron is ironic in the context of a poem in which a funeral is the subject . The “juicy bone” is a contrast in its own phrasing, as well as a contrasting image with the coffin and the implied corpse’s bones inside.

Example #4:  The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)

I’m the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life.

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Oxymoron Definition

What is an oxymoron? Here’s a quick and simple definition:

An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a point—particularly to reveal a deeper or hidden truth. The most recognizable oxymorons are adjective-noun pairs, as in the phrase "proud humility." But oxymorons can also occur over the course of a clause or sentence, as in "That silence after your joke was deafening." In both examples, the oxymoron joins opposite ideas to make a point (such as that an awkward silence can have a presence comparable to a loud sound).

Some additional key details about oxymorons:

• The word "oxymoron" is itself an oxymoron. It comes from the Greek words oskús , meaning sharp or keen, and morōs meaning dull or foolish.
• If you're referring to oxymoron in plural, both oxymorons and oxymora are correct. Oxymorons is now more common in print than oxymora, but you'll find the latter listed in most dictionaries.
• The words in an oxymoron don't need to to be glued together, as in "heavy lightness" or "serious vanity." They can be spaced out, as in, "His honor rooted in dishonor stood," which is a line from Tennyson's "Lancelot and Elaine."

How to Pronounce Oxymoron

Here's how to pronounce oxymoron: ahk-see- mor -on

Oxymoron vs. Related Terms

Oxymoron is often confused with other related terms, such as "contradiction in terms," "paradox," and "antonym." Read on to find out how oxymoron is distinct from each of these terms.

Oxymoron vs. Contradiction in Terms

Today, many people use the term "oxymoron" as a synonym for any expression whose components contradict one another, even contradictions that are unintentional or come up in casual conversation (also called a "contradiction in terms"). However, an oxymoron is more specific than a contradiction in terms: it must be crafted intentionally in order to suggest that two contradictory ideas go together because their unlikely combination reveals a deeper truth.

For example, someone might (wrongly) call the phrase "business ethics" an oxymoron, simply to make the claim that business is always unethical. However, while it's possible to argue that "business ethics" is a contradiction in terms, the phrase is not an oxymoron. The beauty of an oxymoron is that it deliberately combines two words or ideas that contradict one another, not simply to point out how those ideas don't fit, but for the purpose of showing that a contradiction actually does make sense or reveal a deeper meaning.

For instance, a true oxymoron occurs when Juliet says to Romeo in Romeo and Juliet that "Parting is such sweet sorrow." Shakespeare has purposefully created this contradiction to capture the deeper truth of the simultaneous pain and joy of departing from a loved one—he's trying to communicate that being separated from your beloved is painful and yet, precisely because it's painful, parting reminds you of your love and joy.

To sum up, an oxymoron is not simply a contradiction in terms. A true oxymoron must be deliberately crafted in advance, with the goal of creating a rhetorical effect or revealing a deeper figurative meaning.

Oxymoron vs. Paradox

It's also helpful to understand the relationship between oxymoron and paradox. Both have to do with using contradiction to reveal deeper truths, but they differ in an important way: an oxymoron is a device, while a paradox is an idea.

A paradox is a concept that is simultaneously counterintuitive and truthful or revealing. Thus, an oxymoron might be a configuration of words that expresses a paradox, but the oxymoron is not, itself, the paradox. An example might help: the oxymoron "sweet sorrow" speaks to the paradox that love and pain can go together, but the oxymoron is not, in and of itself, the paradox that it expresses.

Oxymorons vs. Antonyms

Words that are antonyms have opposite meanings from one another. For example, "good" and "bad" are antonyms. Some people mistake pairs of antonyms for oxymorons, but they are not the same.

• Oxymorons take two contradictory words or ideas and bring them together to create a single, deeper meaning. The oxymoron "darkness visible," for instance, captures the sense of darkness being not just the lack of light, but also a tangible, terrible thing.
• Antonym pairs—such as good and bad, light and dark, or strong and weak—do not create a new, deeper meaning. Instead, each pair of words describes a range of possible traits on a spectrum, such as from good to bad, or from light to dark.

Oxymoron Examples

Oxymoron in prose.

Oxymorons can add color, humor, and meaning to language in all sorts of ways. Oxymorons are useful tools for authors and poets because they're based in contradiction, which makes them capable of describing complex or conflicting emotions.

Oxymoron in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Shakespeare used a great many oxymorons in his plays. Here's one more example from Romeo and Juliet . In these lines from Act 1, Scene 1, Romeo tells his cousin Benvolio about his feelings for a woman named Rosamund who doesn't love him back:

O heavy lightness, serious vanity, Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms! Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is! This love feel I, that feel no love in this.

This cascade of oxymorons, placed one after the other, heightens the contrast between Romeo's idea of love and what he's actually experiencing. Because there are so many oxymorons, the paired words take on a clichéd tone that reflects on the quality of Romeo's "love" for Rosamund, which (we know from the title, "Romeo and Juliet") is fleeting and hasn't anything to do with the love affair that drives the rest of the play.

Oxymoron in Shakespeare's Macbeth

The following oxymoron occurs repeatedly throughout Macbeth . This first example is from the play's opening scene and it is part of a charm chanted by witches:

Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air.

In this particular scene, the oxymoron "fair is foul, and foul is fair" speaks to the witches' evil character. They have an inverted moral code that values "the foul" and dislikes "the fair." On top of establishing the witches' cruelty, the line is also a signal to the audience to be on guard throughout the play—a warning that characters who seem fair may be foul, and vice versa. There's a drama and simplicity to the "fair is foul" oxymoron, which becomes a refrain as the play goes on and characters begin to act according to the witches' moral code.

Oxymoron in Vladimir Nabokov's Ada

Nabokov's novel Ada tells the story of Van and Ada, a sister and brother who meet as teenagers and fall in love, believing that they are cousins. In this example, Nabokov describes Ada, seen through Van's eyes, absorbed in one of her favorite activities:

On those relentlessly hot July afternoons, Ada liked to sit on a cool piano stool of ivoried wood at a white-oilcloth'd table in the sunny music room, her favorite botanical atlas open before her, and copy out in color on creamy paper some singular flower...Or else she combined one species with another (unrecorded but possible), introducing odd little changes and twists that seemed almost morbid in so young a girl so nakedly dressed.

The "nakedly dressed" oxymoron immediately follows the description of Ada's drawings, in which she combines together unlikely species: just as oxymorons conjoin unlikely words and ideas. The contradiction contained in "nakedly dressed" echoes the impossibility of the hybrids Ada draws, and more importantly, it expresses both Van's feeling that he can see into her soul despite the clothes covering her body, his yearning for her such that her clothes only suggest to him her body beneath them, and at the same time (because it's an oxymoron and the words contradict) the impossibility of the siblings' relationship. This example is similar to the lines above from Romeo and Juliet, in that both use the contradictory terms of an oxymoron to reflect the characters' experience of thwarted love.

Oxymoron in Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls

These lines from Chapter 7 of For Whom the Bell Tolls describe an encounter between Robert Jordan, a young American soldier fighting in the Spanish Civil War, and his lover María.

She held herself tight to him and her lips looked for his and then found them and were against them and he felt her, fresh, new and smooth and young and lovely with the warm, scalding coolness and unbelievable to be there in the robe that was as familiar as his clothes, or his shoes, or his duty and then she said, frightenedly, “And now let us do quickly what it is we do so that the other is all gone.”

The couple's relationship becomes a bright spot for both of them in the midst of war, but ultimately also a source of pain and confusion for Jordan, as he struggles to balance his obligation to fight with his desire to live happily by Maria's side. The contradiction contained within the oxymoron "scalding coolness" emphasizes the couple's conflicting emotions and impossible situation.

Oxymoron Examples in Poetry and Song Lyrics

Oxymoron in alfred lord tennyson's "lancelot and elaine":.

The following lines refer to Lancelot, who is in love with Guinevere, King Arthur's wife. In the poem, Lancelot is tempted by another woman, but he remains "true" to Guinevere.

The shackles of an old love straitened him, His honour rooted in dishonour stood, And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true.

The sequence of oxymorons in this example (honour/dishonour, "faith unfaithful," "falsely true") emphasizes the contrast between Lancelot's "faithful" love for Guinevere, and the fact that his relationship with Guinevere makes them both unfaithful to Arthur.

Oxymoron in "The Sounds of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel:

Paul Simon wrote the song The Sounds of Silence about the difficulty people have in communicating with one another, but the lyrics were later interpreted as a reference to the Vietnam War (a war that many would say was full of contradictions):

Hello darkness, my old friend I've come to talk with you again Because a vision softly creeping Left its seeds while I was sleeping And the vision that was planted in my brain Still remains Within the sound of silence

Why Do Writers Use Oxymorons?

Some of the greatest truths lie in contradiction, and oxymoron is one of the best figures of speech for expressing contradiction. For example, as we covered above, Shakespeare used oxymorons to describe strong, opposing emotions that often occur together, and also to show how the friction between those two feelings—love and hate, or love and pain, for example—can coexist and shape characters' experiences. However, oxymorons aren't always so serious. The following example is from Alexander Pope's poem, "Essay on Criticism":

The bookful blockhead ignorantly read, With loads of learned lumber in his head, With his own tongue still edifies his ears, And always list’ning to himself appears.

In this case, the oxymorons "bookful blockhead" and "learned lumber" add humor and spice to Pope's writing. Even so, Pope uses oxymoron to emphasize that people who are well-read are not necessarily original thinkers.

Other Helpful Oxymoron Resources

• The Wikipedia Page on Oxymoron: A very thorough explanation which also discusses the use of oxymorons for comedic effect.
• The Dictionary Definition of Oxymoron: A basic definition and etymology of the term.
• Oxymoron List: An extensive list of oxymorons and paradoxes, also the online home-base for an international community of oxymoron-lovers. Note: many of these examples are actually contradictions in terms and not actual oxymorons, but it's still a helpful resource if you pick and choose carefully.

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Literary Devices

Literary devices, terms, and elements, definition of oxymoron, difference between oxymoron and paradox, common examples of oxymoron.

There are many examples of oxymoron that have become common phrases, such as:

Other languages have contributed oxymora to English, such as the Chinese concept of yin-yang. The famous black and white circular symbol that expresses yin-yang shows a drop of white in the black and side and, conversely, a small bit of black in the white side. This is meant to represent that even opposites contain a bit of each other. The yin-yang symbol is thus also a visual representation of oxymoron.

Significance of Oxymoron in Literature

Examples of oxymoron in literature.

Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still, Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will! Where shall we dine?—O me! What fray was here? Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all. Here’s much to do with hate but more with love. Why then, O brawling love, O loving hate, O anything of nothing first created! O heavy lightness, serious vanity, Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms! Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is! This love feel I, that feel no love in this.

Shakespeare used many oxymoron examples in his works, and his famous tragic play Romeo and Juliet contains several oxymora. In just this one short excerpt there are many oxymora back to back. For instance, “loving hate,” “heavy lightness,” “feather of lead,” “bright smoke,” “cold fire,” and “sick health” are all oxymoron examples. So too are the slightly longer lines, “O anything of nothing,” “Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms,” and “This love feel I, that feel no love in this.” The interesting function of these many oxymora is to illustrate the difficult dualities of love and the extremes that a person may feel when in love. The theme of Romeo and Juliet is, of course, that of tragic love and the very relationship of the two lovers is an oxymoron, as Juliet states, “My only love sprung from my only hate!”

Down the close darkening lanes they sang their way To the siding-shed, And lined the train with faces grimly gay. Their breasts were stuck all white with wreath and spray As men’s are, dead.

(“The Send-Off” by Wilfred Owen)

As for believing things, I can believe anything, provided that it is quite incredible.

All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

In George Orwell’s famous satire Animal Farm , the animals kick out the human owners and attempt to govern the farm themselves. At first, the leader Napoleon creates seven commandments for them to follow, the most important of which is “All animals are equal.” However, as time goes on the commandments begin to change, just as Napoleon’s demeanor toward the rest of the animals starts to change. Eventually he changes this key commandment to the quote above: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” Of course, this new commandment is one of many examples of oxymoron in the new leadership system. Some animals being “more” equal than others is not actually possible if one is to believe the first half of the statement. Orwell used this quote precisely to highlight the hypocrisies of the Russian Revolution. He wrote Animal Farm to critique the form of communism adopted in Russian after the revolution, showing that there was, indeed, no real equality in the new system.

Test Your Knowledge of Oxymoron

2. Which of the following statements is an oxymoron example? A. Deliberate mistake B. Rotten banana C. Foolish idiot [spoiler title=”Answer to Question #2″] Answer: A is the correct answer. A mistake, by definition, is something that a person does not mean to do, while being deliberate is the opposite. However, one can imagine how this situation might arise, such as if an embezzler makes a “mistake” in the accounting so as to confuse the flow of funds.[/spoiler]

4. Which of the following lines from Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 72” contains an example of oxymoron? A. For you in me can nothing worthy prove B. Unless you would devise some virtuous lie C. My name be buried where my body is [spoiler title=”Answer to Question #4″] Answer: B is the correct answer, as a “virtuous lie” is an oxymoron.[/spoiler]

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Oxymoron - Meaning, Definition and How to Use Them with Examples

In this article, you will be introduced to the figure of speech called ‘oxymoron’. You will get to know all that you need to know about oxymoron, its meaning, definitions and how it has to be used. You can also check out the examples given in the article to understand clearly and use the figure of speech correctly.

Table of Contents

What is oxymoron – meaning and definition, how to use an oxymoron in a sentence – points to remember, examples of oxymoron from literature, some other common examples of oxymoron for everyday use, check your understanding of oxymoron, frequently asked questions on oxymoron in english grammar.

An oxymoron is a rhetorical device that uses two opposite or contradictory terms one after the other in order to project an effect. According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, oxymoron is defined as “a phrase that combines two words that seem to be the opposite of each other.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines an oxymoron as “two words or phrases used together that have, or seem to have, opposite meanings.”

An oxymoron, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is defined as “a combination of contradictory or incongruous words.” The Collins Dictionary defines an oxymoron as “a figure of speech in which opposite or contradictory ideas or terms are combined.”

An oxymoron, as already discussed, is the combination of two contradicting terms. There are some points you have to remember when forming and using oxymorons in sentences. The first point you have to keep in mind is that you have to combine two opposite words, only then can it be considered an oxymoron. Also, do not just use any two opposite terms. Not every combination would make sense. You have to carefully analyse which two words would create an effect on your audience.

Taking a look at some examples will help you understand clearly. There are some frequently used oxymorons as well. You can also go through them to have a good idea about how they can be formed and used.

Examples of Oxymoron

Take a look at the following examples of oxymoron to clearly understand what it is and how it can be used.

Here are a few examples of oxymoron as used in different forms of literature.

• “His honour rooted in dishonour stood, And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true.” Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Idylls of the King
• We can see multiple instances where William Shakespeare uses oxymorons in his famous play, Romeo and Juliet.
• “Parting is such sweet sorrow. ”
• “Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate !
• O anything, of nothing first create!
• O heavy lightness ! Serious vanity!
• Mis-shalien chaos of well-seeming forms!
• Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health !”
• In the poem, Don Juan by Lord Byron, he uses oxymoron to connect the emotions between sadness and happiness.
• “With good, and bad, and worse, alike prolific

Of melancholy merriment, to quote

Too much of one sort would be soporific;”

• William Butler Yeats uses an oxymoron in his poem, Lapis Lazuli
• “One asks for mournful melodies ;

Accomplished fingers begin to play.”

• John Donne makes use of an oxymoron in his poem, The Ecstasy.
• “Our eye-beams twisted, and did thread
• Our eyes upon one double string;

So to’intergraft our hands, as yet

Was all the means to make us one,

Here are a few commonly used oxymorons that have been in the English language frequently. Examples of sentences using those oxymorons have also been given in the following table for your reference. Check them out.

Identify the oxymorons in the following sentences.

1. It is always a love-hate relationship between us.

2. I can never manage such a deafening silence.

3. The company faced a minor crisis in the last year, which affected the company to a great extent.

4. Their restlessness was projected like a silent scream for help.

5. I have zero tolerance for dishonesty.

6. My mom asked my brother to stop behaving like a big baby.

7. Trigonometry is my least favourite topic in Maths.

8. There was a definite possibility for us to be late due to the traffic.

9. We use plastic glasses so we can just dispose of them after use.

10. Mazeeka was on a heavy diet owing to her wedding.

Now, find out if you have identified the oxymorons correctly from the answers given below.

2. I can never manage such a deafening silence .

6. My mom asked my brother to stop behaving like a big baby .

What is an oxymoron?

An oxymoron is a rhetorical device that uses two opposite or contradictory terms one after the other in order to project an effect.

What is the definition of an oxymoron?

According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, oxymoron is defined as “a phrase that combines two words that seem to be the opposite of each other.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines an oxymoron as “two words or phrases used together that have, or seem to have, opposite meanings.” An oxymoron, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is defined as “a combination of contradictory or incongruous words.” The Collins Dictionary defines an oxymoron as “a figure of speech in which opposite or contradictory ideas or terms are combined.”

How can we form an oxymoron?

The first point you have to keep in mind is that you have to combine two opposite words, only then can it be considered an oxymoron. Also, do not just use any two opposite terms. Not every combination would make sense. You have to carefully analyse which two words would create an effect on your audience.

Give some examples of oxymorons from literature.

Here are some examples of oxymorons from literature.

Give some common day-to-day examples of oxymorons.

Here are a few examples of oxymorons that can be used in everyday life.

• My brother feels that I am growing smaller every time he comes back after a trip.
• Santana left the painting completely unfinished.
• My sister and I had a friendly fight.
• Technological advancement in the educational department is completely based on virtual reality.
• Soumia seems to be clearly confused.

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• Literary Terms
• Definition & Examples
• When & How to Write an Oxymoron

I. What is Oxymoron?

My room is an organized mess, or controlled chaos, if you will. Same difference.

The above phrase is packed with oxymorons, including “organized mess,” “controlled chaos,” and “same difference.” For something to be organized, it cannot be a mess. Chaos is anything but controlled! And how can something be different and the same? The answer is the oxymoron.

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that puts together opposite elements. The combination of these contradicting elements serves to reveal a paradox, confuse, or give the reader a laugh.

The word oxymoron is derived from the Greek phrases oxus and mōros , meaning a mix of “sharp and keen” and “dull and dumb.”

II. Examples of Oxymoron

We use many oxymoronic phrases in everyday speech, oftentimes to add some humor to an otherwise ordinary sentence.

For instance, imagine a woman who has a thirty-five year old son who still lives in her attic, playing video games and refusing to get a real job. An oxymoronic name for him could be used in this way:

That’s my adult child . Poor thing still can’t get himself into the real adult world.

An “adult child” literally does not make sense—you cannot have an adult who is also a child. This oxymoron, though, serves to describe an adult who refuses to act like an adult.

Consider the common snippet of advice:

Act naturally.

When sneaking around, causing trouble, or entering a stressful situation, we often advise people to “act naturally.” Of course, if one is acting naturally, one is not acting. Still, we understand the phrase because, despite its contradictory elements, it makes sense.

III. The Importance of Using Oxymoron

Oxymora are important in a variety of ways. For one, they spice up everyday conversation with wit and humor. On the other hand, they also challenge audiences in speeches, poetry, and prose with confusing phrases that apparently contradict themselves, but upon further inspection, make sense. Oxymora encourage audiences to think beyond everyday logic in order to critically think about and understand paradoxes.

IV. Oxymoron in Literature

Oxymora provide literature with comedic, thought-provoking, and dramatic phrases.

Read this excerpt from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet :

Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate! O anything, of nothing first create! O heavy lightness! Serious vanity! Mis-shapen chaos of well-seeming forms! Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health! Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is! This love feel I, that feel no love in this.

Upon realizing his love is for an unavailable woman, Romeo releases a slur of oxymora including: “loving hate,” “heavy lightness,” “serious vanity,” and “bright smoke.” The use of oxymoron here serves to highlight the discord that Romeo experiences between his strong passion for a woman, and the logic which tells him he cannot love her.

Consider this excerpt from Alexander Pope’s “ Essays of Criticism”:

  The bookful blockhead ignorantly read, With loads of learned lumber in his head, With his own tongue still edifies his ears, And always list’ning to himself appears.

Pope’s “bookful blockhead” who is “ignorantly read” serves to wittily describe someone who reads a lot but learns little from his reading.

V. Examples of Oxymoron in Pop Culture 

Ne-Yo describes a woman as a “ Beautiful Monster ,” an oxymoron meaning that a woman is simultaneously attractive and beautiful as well as terrifying and dangerous. This is further emphasized by the song’s other lyrics:

You’re a knife Sharp and deadly And it’s me That you cut into But I don’t mind In fact I like it Though I’m terrified

The speaker in this song is simultaneously satisfied and terrified when faced with this oxymoronic woman.

Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sounds of Silence.” Throughout this song, the speaker describes the mysterious “sounds of silence.” Of course, silence is by definition a lack of sound, so the “sound of silence” is an oxymoron.

The lyrics further explain what this phrase means:

And in the naked light I saw Ten thousand people, maybe more. People talking without speaking, People hearing without listening,

The following is a cover by Disturbed :

People who talk without speaking and hear without listening serve to oxymoronically describe people who live without meaning and connection in their lives. The performer uses an oxymoron in this song to meaningfully describe a complicated idea of people who communicate but are not truly connected.

VI. Related Terms: Oxymoron vs. Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition is the placement of two different or contradictory elements in close proximity to one another. Oxymoron, too, is the placement of contradictory elements side by side. The difference between juxtaposition and oxymoron is one of specificity: oxymoron is specifically a phrase containing two contradictory elements, whereas juxtaposition may refer to the position of two different characters , settings , or other plot elements. Oxymoron is a specific type of juxtaposition.

For an example of juxtaposition versus oxymoron, consider a trip to a restaurant:

Juxtaposition:

The waitress serves a small appetizer of shrimp cocktail alongside a huge appetizer of jumbo shrimp, fried and dipped in three different sauces. The person who ordered shrimp cocktail laughs, and says, “Who knew jumbo shrimp were so much bigger? They must have the poor shrimp lifting weights!”

The juxtaposition of a small shrimp appetizer beside a large one is comedic, as the great difference in size is unexpected for two things that are, in name, both shrimp. The example of oxymoron, on the other hand, may be found in the same passage:

Jumbo shrimp

Another reason why this passage is comedic is the idea of “jumbo shrimp,” a phrase which is oxymoronic. Shrimp, by definition, are considered small, as we call wimpy people “shrimp.” Jumbo, on the other hand, implies that something is particularly large. The phrase “jumbo shrimp” is a comedic example of oxymoron.

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Understanding an Oxymoron (Definition, Examples, Paradox Comparison)

What is an oxymoron? And what is the difference between an oxymoron and a paradox? Are oxymorons used in common American English?

Learn more in this oxymoron guide and worksheet…

What is an Oxymoron?

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that appears to contradict itself. 

It is a rhetorical device used to emphasize a particular point.

Definition of an oxymoron

According to Merriam-Webster , an oxymoron is “a combination of contradictory or incongruous words (such as cruel kindness).”

An oxymoron is any figure of speech that contains opposing words to create the impression of a contradiction.

It is made up of the Greek words “ Oxus ,“ meaning “sharp,“ and “moros,“ meaning “foolish,” and or “dull.” This makes the word ”oxymoron” an oxymoron in itself.

How are Oxymorons Used in English?

Oxymorons are used in English to grab readers’ attention or for humorous effect . 

It is commonly used in literature to bring the reader’s attention to the values of two different concepts.

Famous comedians like George Carlin used them in comedy skits to illustrate the difference between the two concepts. “Civil war” is one such example. “Civil” means “polite”, and “war“ refers to the conflict of two groups on a battlefield.

Individually, the words mean different things, but together, they have another meaning altogether.

Then there are certain kinds of oxymorons that grow out of casual slang, such as calling something “wicked good.”

What is an Oxymoron in Literature?

An oxymoron carries much of the same connotations in literature as in regular Modern English. In literature, it is a form of figurative language that takes away from the literal meaning to bring attention to the abstract or symbolic concepts that the writer is trying to convey. 

Shakespeare commonly used oxymorons to create descriptions for his scenes or to emphasize the emotions a particular character felt in a scene. 

In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses the oxymoron “ Oh, brawling love, O loving hate ” to refer to the conflicting feelings between the respective families of Romeo and Juliet (this example also known as literary devices) .

This is done to emphasize how their love is blind and how love between the two was hated because of the conflict and drama it created between the families. 

Oxymorons in literature are not just used to point out contradictions but to show how humans themselves are contradictory as well. A single person or character can have great love and hate for the same person.

Both are strong emotions and are often said to be different sides of the same coin. Characters often express one emotion with words while expressing another through body language and gestures.

Since desire is the root of emotions and pulls characters in different directions , literature commonly makes a point of having characters express their contradictory nature.

This is done through dialogue , actions, and narration, all while using oxymorons to make the prose rich and exciting.

For further examples of Shakespeare using oxymorons, read this page.

Types of Oxymorons

Oxymorons can be categorized into the following groups

• Single word oxymorons
• Double word oxymorons
• Dependent morpheme
• Independent morpheme

Single word oxymoron

Single-word oxymorons use two opposite or contrasting ideas pushed inside a  single word. 

• E.g. , Bittersweet.

Double word oxymoron

A double-word oxymoron is made up of two different words standing separate from one another and giving birth to a deeper meaning when considered as a whole.

• E.g., Civil war

Dependent morpheme 

A dependent morpheme uses two different morphemes to create a single word. 

• E.g., Preposterous

(Pre refers to something before the start, and post refers to something after the end of something.)

Independent morpheme 

An independent morpheme is split into two morphemes that carry opposing meanings together. The morphemes here don’t depend on one another to be complete. They make sense individually and join together to create a more refined meaning. 

• E.g., Spendthrift.

(Spend refers to buying something, while thrift refers to not being wasteful)

Examples of Oxymorons

Here are examples of oxymorons.

• Almost exactly
• Act naturally
• Awfully good
• Business ethics
• Barely dressed
• Benevolent despot
• Bright smoke
• Boxing ring
• Controlled chaos 
• Cruel kindness
• Criminal justice
• Deafening silence 
• Dotted line
• Dead man walking 
• Freezer burn
• Fine mess 
• Frenemy 
• Fairly dark
• Fairly nasty
• Feathers of lead
• Friendly fire
• Final draft
• Finally begun
• Funny business
• Growing smaller
• Hardly easy
• Industrial park
• Love-hate 
• Least favorite
• Living dead 
• Loyal opposition
• Modern history
• Original copy
• Only choice
• Open secret
• Peaceful war 
• Perfectly imperfect 
• Rising deficit
• Recorded live
• Same difference
• Sanitary sewer
• Silent scream
• Silent alarm
• Small giant
• Strangely familiar 
• Sounds of Silence 
• Talking pictures
• Terribly nice
• Virtual reality

For more oxymorons, you can refer to this page.

Examples of Oxymorons Used in Sentences

• “The politician gave his deceptively honest opinion.”
• “The comedian was seriously funny.”
• “This is a genuine imitation Rolex watch.”
• “Parting is such sweet sorrow.”
• “This is one amazingly fine mess you’ve gotten us into.”
• “That rumor is old news.”
• “He is my least favorite actor.”
• “How do you like the wireless cable connection?”
• “Stop being such a big baby.”
• “She has a real passive-aggressive personality.”
• “The story was based on a true myth.”

Oxymorons in Quotes and Sayings

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” — George Orwell

“We must believe in free will. We have no choice.” — Isaac Bashevis

“I am a deeply superficial person.” — Andy Warhol

“The budget was unlimited, but I exceeded it.” —Donald Trump

“I can resist everything but temptation.” —Oscar Wilde

“It usually takes me three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” —Mark Twain

Is “Jumbo Shrimp” an Oxymoron?

Jumbo shrimp is widely considered the most classic example of an oxymoron. The noun and adjective are antonyms or otherwise clearly contradictory in some way.

In the phrase “jumbo shrimp,” the word “jumbo” refers to something big, while “shrimp” refers to something small and the crustacean at the same time. The secondary meaning is what qualifies “jumbo shrimp” as an oxymoron here, and is an effective form of wordplay.

Oxymoron vs. Paradox

Since an oxymoron refers to a statement or figure of speech that contradicts itself, does this mean an oxymoron is also a paradox?

A paradox is a rhetorical device and self-contradictory figure of speech that can be factually and logically true. 

An oxymoron is just a statement that pairs two opposing concepts.

The key is understanding the intent and meaning of the words being used. 

If Bob tells Alice to act naturally, he is using two different words that have opposing meanings. 

But if Bob tells Alice a harsh truth to help her, he is going by the paradox that sometimes you must be cruel to someone to be kind.

A paradox is a statement that seems contradictory at first but turns out to have a nugget of truth contained within.

You can refer to this page for an in-depth look at the differences between a paradox and an oxymoron.

Oxymoron vs. Antonym pairs

If an oxymoron is a statement with opposing concepts, does that mean that statements like “good and evil,” “yin and yang,” and “right and wrong,” are oxymorons?

An oxymoron implies that something has two opposite qualities at the same time. The contradictory nature of one single entity is what makes an oxymoron. 

When referring to “right and wrong” and “good and evil,” we see two opposing concepts. We are not suggesting any one entity having both properties at the same time. We are simply referring to two different, antithetical things.

These figures of speech are simply antonym pairs, couples, ranges, and other kinds of extremes. Antonym pairs are not oxymorons because they refer to two different entities rather than one entity with two opposing characteristics.

What’s the Difference Between an Oxymoron and Irony?

Irony is a literary technique that implies the opposite of what the writer is saying.

Since oxymorons have contradictions in them, does that mean oxymorons are irony? No.

Irony is the difference between what your audience is anticipating and what actually happens in a dramatic story. It is the purposeful subversion of expectations to create surprise and shock.

Oxymorons are certainly used to highlight irony, but irony is based on context and situation. It does not refer to the contradiction between the words in a sentence .

If a character steps out of an inn and walks into a soggy street while a thunderstorm looms overhead, he might say, “This is fantastic weather we’re having.”

The contradiction here is between what the character says and what is happening. There are no contradictions between the words that are being used.

Oxymorons might be used to punctuate ironic moments, but they should not be confused with situational irony.

How to Identify an Oxymoron

You can quickly identify an oxymoron by spotting two words in a phrase that logically don’t go together. But they still form a pair because the speaker is trying to communicate a nuance or bring attention to something. This would not be possible without the contradiction necessary to make the oxymoron.

For example: If Alice remarks that Bob’s secret identity is an open secret, she is using a contradiction to bring attention to something. The words “open secret” imply that while someone might think Bob’s identity is secret, everyone knows who he really is. There’s no secret.

For example: If Alice remarks that Bob is being awfully sweet, she is using contradictory words to imply that Bob is being very nice. This oxymoron brings emphasis to the word “sweet.”

Is “Oxymoronic” a word?

Oxymoronic is the adjective form of the word oxymoron. So oxymoronically is the adverb form of the word oxymoron. So yes, oxymoronic is indeed a word.

Can a Person Be an Oxymoron?

An oxymoron is a figure of speech or a statement. It is not the personal characteristic of the person. If someone is “barely dressed,” that implies they are almost naked. It does not imply the person is a walking, talking contradiction.

The confusion in this belief might lie in the word “moron,” which some people infer to refer to the person. But the word “oxymoron” has nothing to do with the word “moron.” It just happens that the word for “foolish” in Greek is “ moros .”

You cannot call someone an oxymoron, but you can undoubtedly describe how they act like an oxymoron, such as calling someone “passive-aggressive.”

What Is the Opposite of an Oxymoron?

While an oxymoron is a statement with opposing, self-contradictory concepts, a tautology is a complete opposite.

A tautology is a statement with two words that mean the same thing.

For example: A tiny speck. A true fact. Boys will be boys.

A tautology is a sentence with repeated meaning, making use of redundant phrases to say the same thing to create emphasis. The word tautology is comprised of the words “tautuos” which means “identical,” and “logos,” which means word or idea.

• Difference between oxymoron and paradox
• Huge list of oxymorons
• Romeo and Juliet oxymorons
• Oxymoron examples

A rhetorical device where two seemingly contradictory words are used together for effect.

Slow is fast, be quick to be slow, a rich little poor girl, loving hate, pointedly foolish.

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Table of Contents

Introduction, what is an oxymoron, why do writers use oxymorons, oxymoron vs. paradox.

Oxymoron and paradox are both literary devices that involve the juxtaposition of seemingly contradictory elements. While they share similarities, they serve distinct purposes in language and literature.

Examples of Oxymorons in Everyday Conversations

Examples of Oxymorons in Literature

Oxymorons are frequently used in literature:

Juliet Sweet, so would I, Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing. Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, That I shall say good night till it be morrow. From “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare

Romeo Here’s much to do with hate, but more with love. Why, then, O brawling love, O loving hate, O anything of nothing first created, O heavy lightness, serious vanity, Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms, Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, Still-waking sleep that is not what it is. This love feel I, that feel no love in this. From “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare

Sweet scorn, sweet anger, and sweet misery, Forgiveness sweet, sweet burden, and sweet ill; Sweet accents that mine ear so sweetly thrill, That sweetly bland, now sweetly fierce can be. Mourn not, my soul, but suffer silently; And those embitter’d sweets thy cup that fill With the sweet honour blend of loving still Her whom I told: “Thou only pleasest me.” Hereafter, moved with envy, some may say: “For that high-boasted beauty of his day Enough the bard has borne!” then heave a sigh. Others: “Oh! why, most hostile Fortune, why Could not these eyes that lovely form survey? Why was she early born, or wherefore late was I?” By Francesco Petrarca

“Lady Russell had only to listen composedly, and wish them happy, but internally her heart revelled in angry pleasure, in pleased contempt, that the man who at twenty-three had seemed to understand somewhat of the value of an Anne Elliot, should, eight years afterwards, be charmed by a Louisa Musgrove.” From “Persuasion” by Jane Austen

pronounced: ox-ee-MOR-on | plural: oxymora, oxymorons

So fair and foul a day I have not seen! William Shakespeare

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that deliberately uses two contradictory ideas. This contradiction creates a paradoxical image in the reader or listener's mind that generates a new concept or meaning for the whole. Some typical oxymorons are:

• a living death
• sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind
• a deafening silence
• bitter-sweet
• The Sounds of Silence (song title)
• make haste slowly
• he was conspicuous by his absence

Pseudo Oxymorons

In the standard meaning of oxymoron the contradiction is deliberate. However, in popular usage oxymoron is sometimes used to mean "contradiction in terms", where the contradiction is unintentional. Such expressions, unlike real oxymorons, are commonly used without any sense of paradox in everyday language, for example:

• anecdotal evidence
• friendly fire
• humanitarian war
• pretty ugly

A common attempt at humour is to describe a certain phrase as an oxymoron, implying that the two parts of the phrase are mutually exclusive and that consequently the phrase as a whole must be nonsensical:

• airline food
• American culture
• eco-tourism
• Microsoft security
• military intelligence
• voluntary lockdown

Oxymoron: Definition, Usage and Helpful Oxymoron Examples

Oxymoron is a type of figure of speech that will be heard in spoken English many times. It is also found in a literary sense in works such as songs, poems, and fiction. But what exactly is an oxymoron and how can it be used? In this article, we are going to discuss the meaning of oxymoron and look at how it is used in both spoken and written language. We will do this by taking a look at some examples of times in which oxymoron has been used in literature and in everyday conversation.

What Is an Oxymoron?

Oxymoron definition.

An  oxymoron  is a figure of speech that combines seemingly contradictory terms or ideas. This rhetorical device is used to emphasize a particular point, often revealing a deeper or hidden truth. It can be found in various forms of literature, poetry, and everyday language. Elements of an oxymoron may include contrasting words or ideas, placed side by side for effect. While an  oxymoron  may seem nonsensical or contradictory, its main purpose is to provoke thought and convey complexity.

Oxymoron is a type of figurative language that involves the use of two words that appear to contradict one another but when used together make a true and sometimes positive statement.

It is a rhetorical device that can be used in order to reveal a paradox by using two self-contradicting terms. It is also used in a literary sense in order to add a more complex feel to the text and in order to cause the reader to think in a more profound way about the situation at hand.

The term “oxymoron” itself is derived from the Greek words “oxy” meaning “sharp” and “moron” meaning “dull.” It describes the interplay of opposing terms in a word or phrase, essentially creating a “sharp-dull” idea that captures the attention of the reader or listener.

Different Types of Oxymorons

• Adjective-noun pairs : The most recognizable oxymorons often include an adjective followed by a noun. These combinations create striking mental images and challenge conventional thinking. Examples include “bitter sweet,” “deafening silence,” and “open secret.”
• Verb-noun pairs : In this type, a verb contradicts the noun it modifies, as seen in phrases like “to freeze a burn” or “to organize chaos.”
• Adverb-adjective pairs : These oxymorons involve an adverb modifying a contradicting adjective, such as “incredibly ordinary” and “clearly confusing.”
• Phrasal oxymorons : These are multi-word expressions that contain contradictory elements. Examples include “living death,” “hurry up and wait,” and “peaceful war.”

In conclusion, understanding oxymorons requires recognizing the deliberate juxtaposition of contradictory terms to create thought-provoking expressions. Through the use of oxymorons in various forms and combinations, writers and speakers can engage the audience’s intellect and encourage deeper exploration of the ideas they present.

Oxymoron Examples in Literature

Shakespeare and oxymorons.

Oxymorons have been widely employed in literature to emphasize contrasts and evoke deeper meanings. One prominent author who made excellent use of oxymorons is William Shakespeare. In his play  Romeo and Juliet , Shakespeare frequently uses oxymorons to express the complexity and contradictory nature of emotions. For example, in Act 1, Scene 1, Romeo says, “O brawling love, O loving hate,” which highlights the paradoxical relationship between love and hate.

Shakespeare’s utilization of oxymoronic phrases showcases his mastery of language and allows him to convey intricate emotions to his audience.

Oxymoron Examples in Notable Works and Authors

Other esteemed authors have incorporated oxymorons in their works as well. Some notable examples include:

• Alfred, Lord Tennyson : In his poem  Idylls of the King , Tennyson uses oxymorons to describe the melancholic character of King Arthur. An example from the poem is the phrase “faith unfaithful,” which reflects the struggle between trust and betrayal that characterized Arthur’s reign.
• Lord Byron : The famous Romantic poet, Lord Byron, also employs oxymorons in his writings. In the poem  Don Juan , for instance, he pens the line “melancholy merriment” to display the character’s conflicting emotions between sorrow and amusement.
• Oscar Wilde : Another literary master, Oscar Wilde, artfully employs oxymorons in his works. In  The Picture of Dorian Gray , he writes, “the only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it,” skillfully illustrating the contradictory nature of human desires and choices.

Other Examples of Oxymorons in Literature

We often see oxymorons used as a literary device , for the purpose of encouraging the reader to think more deeply about the meaning of a statement. We are now going to look at some examples of times that oxymoron has been used within the written text.

• In the play, Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare, we see many examples of an oxymoron being used, in such phrases as ‘in heavy lightness’ and ‘bright smoke.’ There are other examples in the same play such as ‘in sick health’ and ‘the cold fire.’
• In Lancelot and Elaine written by Alfred Lord Tennyson , we see an example of oxymoron in the phrase ‘his honour which was rooted in dishonour.’
• In ‘Petrachs 134th sonnet written by Sir Thomas Wyatt, there is an example of the use of oxymoron in the line ‘I burn like ice.’ We see further examples in the same piece of writing in the lines ‘I find no peace but all my war is finished.’ and ‘I flee above wind and yet I cannot rise above.’ These examples are written in a more old English style but still fall under the category of oxymoron.
• In ‘essays of criticism’ written by Alexander Pope, we can see an example of oxymoron when we read the line ‘the bookish blockhead who ignorantly reads.’
• In the play Hamlet written by William Shakespeare, we see many examples of oxymoron, one of these examples comes in the line ‘I must be cruel in order to be kind.’
• Once again, in the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, we see further examples of oxymoron in the lines ‘what a beautiful tyrant’ and he is a damned saint and an honourable thief.’
• In a speech made by a president of Egypt, we see the use of oxymoron in the line ‘it is a step forward even though there was no progress.’
• In a speech made by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, we see an example of oxymoron in the sentence which reads ‘there was nothing taken, I had an honest thief.’
• A statement made by the singer Isaac B, we can see an example of oxymoron in the line ‘we have to believe in free will because we have no other choice.’
• In the poem entitled ‘the send off’ by Wilfred Owen, we see an example of oxymoron when he describes something as ‘grimly gay.’
• In ‘A picture of Dorian Grey’ written by Oscar Wilde, we see another example of the use of oxymoron in the statement which reads ‘I can believe in anything provided that it is incredible.’

These examples illustrate how oxymorons in literature have been used to create nuanced and thought-provoking illustrations of emotions, ideas, and themes. Through the careful use of language and the juxtaposition of seemingly opposing words, authors have employed this figure of speech to enhance their storytelling and engage the reader.

Oxymoron Examples in Everyday Language

Common phrases and sentences.

Oxymorons are often found in everyday language, enhancing the impact of a statement or adding a touch of humor. These are phrases or sentences that combine contradictory or opposing ideas to create a unique image or idea in the reader or listener’s mind. Some examples of oxymorons frequently used in everyday speech include:

• Sweet sorrow
• Cruel kindness
• Alone together
• Same difference

These phrases demonstrate the versatility of oxymorons and their ability to capture life’s incongruities in a succinct and memorable way.

Additionally, there are many common oxymoron examples that have integrated themselves into the fabric of the English language:

• Bittersweet
• Deafening silence
• Jumbo shrimp
• Original copy

These expressions might be used in conversation or texts to convey an idea, emotion, or situation that wouldn’t be as effectively communicated using different words.

Oxymoron Examples in Pop Culture

Oxymorons are a prevalent rhetorical device in various forms of pop culture, including music, film, and literature. They can elicit a range of emotions from love to humor, or even create thought-provoking statements about society, relationships, and the human experience.

A famous example of an oxymoron in pop culture can be found in the song “All of Me” by John Legend. The lyrics contain the phrase “perfect imperfections,” which highlights the beauty and complexity of loving someone despite their flaws.

Within literature and films, oxymorons are often used to heighten drama or create a sense of irony. For example, phrases like “pointedly foolish” and “seriously funny” might be employed to emphasize a character’s qualities or actions in conflict with their intentions or expectations.

Oxymorons are also prevalent in various forms of media and everyday conversation, particularly when discussing modern technology, innovations, or societal trends. Examples include:

• Virtual reality
• Business ethics
• Keen laziness

These oxymorons underscore the inherent contradictions and complexities within the subjects being discussed.

In conclusion, oxymorons are a powerful and versatile literary device that frequently appear in everyday language, pop culture, and various forms of media. They enable individuals to effectively communicate complex ideas and emotions, creating memorable imagery and thought-provoking statements.

More Examples of Oxymorons in Everyday Speech

There are many times in which oxymoron is used in day-to-day conversation. It is a common form of figurative language found in informal conversation. We will now take a look at some examples of the use of oxymorons in a conversational sense. The use of oxymorons will be highlighted in bold.

• He showed a cruel kindness .
• The  living death .
• The walking dead .
• It was an open secret .
• The play was a  tragic comedy .
• We saw a comedian last night, he was seriously funny.
• The model who won the competition was awfully pretty .
• He had an air of  foolish wisdom  about him.
• These are the original copies  of the manuscript.
• The substance was a liquid gas .
• The couple seemed to have a love-hate  relationship.
• We wore our virtual reality  helmets to play the game.
• The workers were actually paid volunteers .
• She kept telling me the same thing, it was old news .
• I am going to need an  exact estimate  of the cost.
• Many fighters were killed in friendly fire.
• I was  absolutely uncertain  of the cause.
• We will have to agree to disagree  on the subject.
• She was regularly irregular .
• She always felt as though she was alone in a crowd.
• We came up with an approximate solution  to the problem.
• After the children had gone to bed, there was a deafening silence .
• If I had to give my unbiased opinion…
• We were awfully lucky  to have avoided any damage from the flood.
• There were a lot of unpopular celebrities  at the award ceremony.
• We are going to a slumber party.
• We are suffering from increasing losses .
• She is a real earth angel.
• He helped to perform assisted suicide .
• I prefer to eat jumbo shrimp .
• I told him to just  act natural .
• There was something about the town which was oddly familiar .
• The work that the builders did was partially completed .
• He is known to behave badly.
• There is a large minority  within the company.
• She is a fairly nasty  person.
• The woman we saw today was pretty ugly.
• My favorite subject at school is modern history .
• He lives in a mobile home .
• His part in the play is the sad clown .

Functions and Effects of Oxymorons

Emphasis and contrast.

Oxymorons serve as a literary device to draw attention to a contradictory or incongruous nature within an idea or concept. By joining two conflicting words, like “sharp-dull” or “civil war,” they create a contrast for the reader to process. This can help highlight specific aspects of the subject, emphasizing particular details or elements that may otherwise be overlooked. For example, the phrase “organized chaos” underscores the paradoxical nature of seemingly chaotic situations that still follow some form of structure.

Humor and Irony

Another function of oxymorons is their ability to convey humor and irony in a clever, concise manner. By pairing words that seemingly oppose each other, such as “awfully good” or “working vacation,” oxymorons create a surprising or entertaining effect that engages the reader. This contradiction in terms often elicits laughter or amusement, as it goes against our expectations. Some notable comical oxymorons are “military intelligence” and “passive-aggressive,” which provide a new way of looking at these familiar concepts by highlighting their inherent contrasts.

Uncovering Deeper Truths

While oxymorons can be a source of humor or emphasis, they can also serve a more profound purpose in revealing deeper truths about the subject at hand. When Alexander Pope, a famous poet, used the oxymoron “terrible beauty” to describe the Atlantic Ocean, he intended to capture the dualistic nature of this vast body of water: its enchanting allure and its potentially dangerous power. By using an oxymoron, writers can challenge and invite readers to dive deeper into the subject and consider different facets or layers that might be overlooked in other forms of figurative language.

In conclusion, oxymorons are a versatile literary device that can serve various functions, from emphasizing contrasts and highlighting incongruities to providing humor and irony or unearthing deeper truths. Whether applied to a poetic description or a comical phrase, oxymorons can communicate complex ideas in an engaging, entertaining, and thought-provoking manner.

How to Use Oxymorons in Your Writing

Creating impact with oxymorons.

Oxymorons, a rhetorical device that combines two contradictory words, can be a powerful tool to create impact in writing. They can evoke strong emotions or provoke thought and can be used to emphasize a point, highlight irony, or add a touch of humor. For example, phrases like “wise fool” and “friendly fire” can bring attention to the inherent contradictions within these concepts.

One way to use oxymorons effectively in writing is to pair an adjective with a noun that has a seemingly opposite meaning. The result is a surprising and thought-provoking image, like the example “deafening silence.” This juxtaposition of words can help express complex ideas that might be difficult to convey otherwise.

Tips for Effective Use

To integrate oxymorons into your writing and make them impactful, follow these tips:

• Choose words carefully : Select words that have a clear and substantial contrast in meaning. For instance, “student teacher” brings out the paradox of being both a learner and an instructor at the same time.
• Use appropriate context : Ensure that the oxymoron fits the context of your writing. An oxymoron that conveys humor may not work well in a serious or formal piece.
• Avoid overuse : While oxymorons can be powerful, using too many within a limited space can make your writing feel cluttered or forced. Remember, the element of surprise is key to their effectiveness.
• Explore different forms : Oxymorons can be plural, like “living dead,” and can also serve as antonyms for other words. Experimenting with different forms can help you convey your ideas more effectively.

Here’s a concise table summarizing the tips for using oxymorons in your writing:

Remember, the use of oxymorons can be a creative and engaging way to enhance your writing. By thoughtfully selecting words and considering their placement in your text, you can make a memorable impact on your readers.

After looking more in-depth at what an oxymoron is and how it can be used, we have discovered that the rhetorical device is formed by using two contradicting words or terms in order to convey a deeper, more positive meaning.

Oxymoron is used frequently in both a conversational sense and in written works such as poetry, song, and stories. When used in this sense it gives a greater complexity to the piece of writing and can cause the reader to have to think more deeply about what they are reading.

Oxymoron Infographic

FAQs on Oxymoron

What is an oxymoron.

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines contradictory words with opposing meanings to make a point, reveal a deeper truth, or create a unique word or phrase. Examples of oxymorons include “old news,” “deafening silence,” and “organized chaos.”

How are oxymorons used in literature?

Oxymorons can be used in various ways in literature, such as:

• Creating an interesting contrast for emphasis
• Highlighting the complexity or ambiguity of a situation
• Adding humor, wit, or irony to a text
• Revealing a hidden truth or deeper meaning

What is the difference between an oxymoron and a paradox?

While both oxymorons and paradoxes involve contradictions, they have distinct differences:

• Oxymoron : A figure of speech combining contradictory terms or ideas, usually in the form of adjective-noun pairs, e.g., “proud humility.”
• Paradox : A statement or argument that seems contradicting or against common sense but might still be true, e.g., “less is more.”

Are there any famous oxymorons in literature?

Yes, many famous literary works contain oxymorons. For instance, in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” the line, “Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate!” features an oxymoron.

Is “oxymoronic” a word?

Yes, “oxymoronic” is an adjective derived from “oxymoron,” describing something that is or involves an oxymoron.

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A Guide to Literary Devices

• About This Guide
• Foreshadowing
• Personification
• Trebuchet MS

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Definition of Oxymoron:  

An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which a pair of contradictory terms are put together for emphasis. By contrasting one another, the linked elements express something else entirely, producing dissonance for rhetorical effect or revealing a more complicated, figurative meaning.

Examples of Oxymoron in Literature:

“He now suspected that the grave roysterers of the mountains had put a trick upon him, and, having dosed him with liquor, had robbed him of his gun.” —Washington Irving’s “Rip Van Winkle” 

The noun “roysterers” refers to someone who is reveling or partying. In contrast, the adjective “grave” indicates a more serious atmosphere, literally meaning “serious or solemn.” These contrasting depictions of the men who Rip drank with the create an oxymoronic description, serving to highlight the supernatural atmosphere of Rip’s experience on the mountain. 

“...and as for believing things, I can believe anything, provided that it is quite incredible.” —Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray

The oxymoron here is formed by the assertion that the speaker can believe anything that is incredible. The logical inconsistency arises from that fact that “incredible” things are by definition those that cannot be believed. This whimsical statement exemplifies the attitude that the only things in life worth pursuing are those which are novel or out of the ordinary, a philosophy espoused by the character who leads Dorian Gray down his dark path. 

“O brawling love! O loving hate!” —William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

In this example, Romeo bemoans Rosaline’s decision to remain chaste. He also sets up an oxymoron in which “love” and “hate” are contrasted in order to indicate the complexities of his situation: being in love with the enemy of one’s family as well as feeling rejected, resulting in a “loving hate.” 

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Oxymoron — Definition and Examples

What is an oxymoron.

An oxymoron is a figure of speech created by combining two contradictory terms to present logically accurate ideas, such as "larger half". Oxymorons typically serve to emphasize conflict or contradictions, create humor or satire, and accentuate characteristics.

Emphasize Conflict/Contradiction: Writers make use of oxymorons as a rhetorical device to present conflicting ideas and add dramatic effect. They demonstrate the friction that exists between two opposite words.

"Fiend angelic": In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Juliet uses several oxymorons, including "fiend angelic," after hearing that Romeo has killed her cousin, Tybalt. The oxymorons highlight Juliet's conflicting thoughts regarding Romeo; she loves him yet finds him wicked due to his murderous actions.

Humor/Satire: When writers use oxymorons sarcastically, they create rhetorical oxymorons. Ultimately, these word combinations have a humorous effect. Typically, the literal meanings of the words in a rhetorical oxymoron are not contradictory; instead, they contrast figuratively.

Good morning: "Morning" often carries a negative connotation since not everyone feels refreshed and full of energy upon waking up. Therefore, combining the negative connotation of the word "morning" with "good" makes the phrase oxymoronic.

Airline food: People typically criticize the meals provided by airlines for not being of the highest quality. Presenting the phrase "airline food" as an oxymoron suggests the meal provided on a plane is the opposite of food.

Accentuate Characteristics: When juxtaposing two contradictory words, the characteristics of the words intensify.

Bittersweet: Using an oxymoron like bittersweet, instead of synonymous words such as sentimental or sorrowful, intensifies the emotion. Combining both bitter and sweet is a description that carries positive and negative characteristics.

The English word oxymoron comes from the Greek words “oxy,” meaning sharp or keen, and “moros,” meaning foolish.

Oxymoron examples

The following list contains well-known examples of oxymorons:

alone together

clearly misunderstood

deafening silence

found missing

freezer burn

genuine imitation

intense apathy

jumbo shrimp

larger half

original copy

random order

small crowd

unbiased opinion

virtual reality

Oxymoron in literature

The following literary works contain examples of oxymorons:

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare:

Feather of lead, bright smoke , cold fire , sick health , / Still- waking sleep , that is not what it is! / This love feel I, that feel no love in this.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte:

And now it is deluged with a nectarous flood--the young germs swamped-- delicious poison cankering them.

The Call of the Wild by Jack London:

With the aurora borealis flaming coldly overhead, or the stars leaping in the frost dance, and the land numb and frozen under its pall of snow, this song of the huskies might have been the defiance of life…

Oxymoron in poetry

Poets tend to use oxymorons more than novelists, as the device allows poets to use fewer words to say more, as is evidenced in the following examples:

"Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night" by Dylan Thomas:

...who see with blinding sight / And you, my father, there on the sad height / Curse, bless , me now...

"A Prayer for my Daughter" by William Butler Yeats:

Imagining in excited reverie / That the future years had come, / Dancing to a frenzied drum, / Out of the murderous innocence of the sea.

Paradise Lost by John Milton:

No light, but rather darkness visible / Served only to discover sights of woe, / Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace / And rest can never dwell, hope never comes.

Literary Devices

Last updated on: Jun 28, 2024

Oxymoron: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners

By: Barbara P.

12 min read

Reviewed By:

Published on: May 27, 2023

Imagine a place where 'dark light' illuminates our path, 'organized chaos' reigns supreme, and 'clearly confused' minds find solace. Welcome to the world of oxymorons!

Oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines contradictory or opposite concepts to create a unique effect. They can add a touch of intrigue, humor, or emphasis by merging conflicting concepts, such as 'bittersweet' or 'open secret,' in a concise and impactful way.

Let’s learn about oxymorons, and how you can use them to make your writing powerful.

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What is an Oxymoron? 

An oxymoron is a literary device that brings together contradictory or opposite terms. This figure of speech combines words that seem incompatible at first glance. However, when used together, they evoke a unique feeling or idea in the audience. 

For instance ,

• Deafening silence.

It merges "deafening" (a loud and overpowering sound) with "silence" (the absence of sound, conveying a powerful and profound stillness that captivates attention.

The term "oxymoron" originates from the Greek words "oxus" (meaning "sharp" or "clever") and "moros" (meaning "foolish" or "dull.") So oxymoron can literally mean "clever-fool.” The word itself is an example of the concept it represents. 

Oxymorons play with the tension between opposing ideas, adding depth and complexity to the language. They are commonly used in literature, poetry, speeches, and even everyday conversations. 

Here’s a short video about oxymorons that you can watch:

The Purpose of Oxymorons 

Oxymorons serve various purposes in communication, enhancing expression and conveying nuanced meanings. Let's explore some of the main uses of oxymorons.

For Rhetorical Impact and Emphasis 

Oxymorons are frequently employed as rhetorical devices to amplify the impact of a statement or emphasize a particular idea. They catch our attention by creating unexpected and striking word combinations. 

Moreover, they stand out from ordinary language, leaving a lasting impression on the audience. 

For example,

• Cruel kindness 

Emphasizes the paradoxical nature of an action or behavior, creating a sense of ambiguity and moral complexity.

• Sweet sorrow

Combines opposing emotions to convey the complexity of human emotions, suggesting that sorrow can also hold elements of fondness. 

• Living dead

Evokes a sense of emptiness or the feeling of being trapped in a life that lacks vitality, purpose, or meaning.

For Humor and Wit 

Oxymorons can be funny. Well-crafted oxymorons add a playful and light-hearted touch to language, bringing entertainment and joy to everyday speech and written works.

• Clearly confused

Creates a humorous effect by suggesting a state of being both clear and confused at the same time, which sounds absurd and funny.

• Seriously funny

A funny way to declare that something or someone is genuinely amusing.

• Jumbo shrimp

Juxtaposes the idea of something being large (jumbo) with something small (shrimp), highlighting the irony and absurdity of the combination. 

For Creating Vivid Imagery and Contrast 

Another function of oxymorons is to create vivid imagery by juxtaposing contrasting elements. They paint mental pictures that spark the imagination and engage the senses. 

Here are three examples:

• Freezing hot 

This oxymoron combines the sensations of extreme cold and intense heat, creating a vivid contrast that evokes a feeling of intense temperatures.

• Awfully good

By merging "awful" (negative) and "good" (positive), it refers to something that exceeds expectations or is strangely satisfying.

• Open secret

This oxymoron presents the notion of something being widely known yet not officially acknowledged.

For Conveying Complex Emotions and Paradoxes 

Oxymorons are particularly effective in expressing complex emotions and paradoxical situations. They capture the essence of experiences that seem contradictory or defy conventional logic. 

Through the fusion of opposing terms, these devices disrupt conventional thought, pushing us to think beyond boundaries. 

• The bittersweet nature of love, 
• The tumultuous calmness of a storm,
• The painful beauty of nostalgic memory

The Difference Between Oxymoron and Paradox

Oxymorons and paradoxes both involve the juxtaposition of contradictory ideas or terms. However, they work differently:

Oxymorons are concise and compact, consisting of two contradictory terms juxtaposed within a short phrase or expression. 

They mostly aim to evoke emotion or grab attention, and do not always have a deeper meaning or logical reality. They're just a figure of speech.

Such as, “bittersweet” or “pretty ugly. 

On the other hand, 

A paradox is more extensive and involves a more elaborate structure. They often require context to fully understand the apparent contradiction and the underlying truth it reveals. 

Also, paradoxes reveal a deeper truth or  insight. They present an idea or concept that challenges conventional thinking and presents a seemingly self-contradictory proposition.

For instance, “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength”(George Orwell in “1984”) is an example of paradox. 

Examples of Oxymoron

Here are a few examples of oxymorons:

Can you think of more examples? Hint: you’ve heard and read countless oxymorons in books, movies, and daily conversations. 

Oxymorons in Literature and Popular Media 

Oxymorons have long been utilized in literature and popular media to add depth, evoke emotions, and captivate audiences. Moreover, oxymorons are most naturally used in poetry and poetic expression. 

Here are some notable oxymoron examples in literature and popular media:

Tips for Using Oxymorons Effectively

You can’t just learn a few oxymorons and then throw them around whenever you want. That would make it hard for others to understand you. 

But don’t worry, with the following tips, you can incorporate oxymorons in your writing and speech successfully.

• Keep it natural: 

The most important tip: avoid forcing oxymorons into your sentences solely for the sake of using them. Instead, let them come naturally when they can enhance the meaning or add a touch of wit.

• Consider the context: 

Take into account the tone, theme, and purpose of your writing or conversation. Choose oxymorons that align with the overall message and atmosphere you want to convey.

• Don’t use them excessively: 

Too many oxymorons can overwhelm the reader or listener and dilute their impact. Aim for a subtle and well-paced use of oxymorons. Use them sparingly to create a lasting impression rather than overwhelming the audience.

• Emphasize the contradiction: 

When using an oxymoron, make sure the contradictory elements are highlighted. This can be achieved through word choice, sentence structure, or punctuation. By emphasizing the contrast, you draw attention to the underlying tension or paradox, enhancing the impact of the oxymoron.

• Consider the audience:  

Keep your audience in mind when using oxymorons. Consider their familiarity with the concept and their ability to grasp the intended meaning. Use oxymorons that resonate with your audience's cultural references, background, and level of language comprehension.

• Be creative:

Embrace the creative potential of oxymorons by exploring unique and imaginative combinations of words. Don't be afraid to experiment and think outside the box. New word combinations can often spark curiosity or engage the audience's attention.

Other Literary Terms

• Alliteration
• Onomatopoeia
• Personification

Wrapping Up

Oxymorons bring a unique flavor to linguistic expression with their contradictory nature and clever wordplay. In this blog, we explored the fascinating world of oxymorons - understanding their definition, functions, and examples.

So, the next time you find an oxymoron in a book, movie, song, or everyday conversation, take a moment to appreciate the creativity behind it. Finally, with the tips provided above, you can also Incorporate oxymorons into your own communication. 

So try it out and witness how they can enhance your expression, engage your audience, and add a touch of linguistic charm. 

Are you a student struggling with crafting an insightful literary essay? Look no further! At 5staressays.com , we specialize in providing top-notch writing services tailored to meet your academic needs.

With our literary essay writing service, you can entrust your assignments to skilled writers who have a deep understanding of literature and writing. Whether you need assistance with analyzing symbolism, exploring character development, or dissecting themes, we can provide you with insightful and well-crafted essays.

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Dr. Barbara is a highly experienced writer and author who holds a Ph.D. degree in public health from an Ivy League school. She has worked in the medical field for many years, conducting extensive research on various health topics. Her writing has been featured in several top-tier publications.

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Oxymoron: Definition, Examples, and Usage

Whether used in a sentence or as a standalone phrase, an oxymoron can be a powerful tool for communication. It can help to create a sense of tension or contrast, and can leave a lasting impression on the listener or reader. Understanding the use of oxymorons is an important part of literary analysis, and can help readers to better understand the deeper meaning behind a piece of writing.

Oxymoron Definition

An  oxymoron  is a figure of speech that combines two contradictory or incongruous words to create a meaningful expression. It is derived from the Greek words “oxys” meaning “sharp, keen” and “moros” meaning “foolish.” By juxtaposing opposing ideas, oxymorons can evoke a deeper or hidden truth and are often used for emphasis, humor, or thought-provoking purposes.

For example, phrases like “deafening silence,” “bittersweet,” and “original copy” are all oxymorons. They may appear illogical or paradoxical at first glance, but when considered within context, they often serve to illustrate a particular point or enhance the intended message.

In a dictionary, an oxymoron is typically defined as a combination of contradictory terms, which may include adjective-noun pairs or other forms of word pairing in a phrase. While some oxymorons are commonly used in everyday language, others are crafted intentionally by writers to enrich their work with striking imagery and thought-provoking concepts.

Overall, oxymorons are a versatile figure of speech that can be employed in various ways to heighten the impact of language and convey complex ideas through a concise and memorable expression.

Oxymoron Examples

Oxymoron is a figure of speech in which seemingly contradictory terms appear side by side, creating an interesting and sometimes humorous effect. These rhetorical devices can often be found in literature, conversation, and everyday speech. Oxymorons in sentences often illustrate the complexity of human emotions or situations and can add depth to characters or situations in a story.

Shakespeare  was proficient at using oxymorons, particularly in his play  Romeo and Juliet . The famous scene where Juliet speaks to herself about her love for Romeo features several poignant examples. She says, “O brawling love, O loving hate,” describing the conflicting emotions she feels towards the Montague family. This juxtaposition of contradictory terms highlights the emotional turmoil Juliet is enduring.

Moreover, other well-known oxymoron examples in literature and speech include:

• Bittersweet
• Deafening silence
• Passive-aggressive
• Awfully good
• Original copy

In each of these instances, the words have opposite meanings, yet their combination creates a striking and evocative image or situation that engages the reader or listener. For example, the term “deafening silence” paints a vivid picture of a situation that is so quiet that it feels loud or significant.

Oxymorons serve various purposes in language and rhetoric. They can emphasize an irony or paradox, add humor to a situation, or simply create memorable phrases that engage the audience. While some oxymorons are intentionally created for a particular effect, others arise naturally as language evolves and adapts to new ideas and situations.

In conclusion, oxymoron examples in speech and literature abound, offering insight into the intricacies of human emotion, thought, and language. These contrasting terms may appear contradictory, but they serve as potent rhetorical devices that add depth, humor, and clarity to both casual conversations and renowned works of literature.

Origins of Oxymoron

The term “oxymoron” has its roots in ancient Greek. It is derived from the Greek words “oxys,” meaning sharp or pointed, and “moros,” meaning foolish or stupid. The combination of these two seemingly contradictory words gives the term its meaning of a figure of speech that combines two contradictory ideas.

The use of oxymora can be traced back to ancient Greek literature, where they were used to create vivid and memorable images. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus, for example, used the phrase “the way up and the way down are one and the same” to express the idea that opposites are interconnected.

The use of oxymora continued throughout the centuries, with examples appearing in the works of Shakespeare, Dickens, and other famous writers. In more recent times, oxymora have become a staple of advertising, with phrases such as “jumbo shrimp” and “deafening silence” used to catch the attention of consumers.

The term “oxymoron” itself was first recorded in Latinized Greek as “oxymōrum” by Maurus Servius Honoratus in the 5th century AD. The word was used to describe the combination of sharp and dull, or foolish and wise, in a single phrase.

Today, the use of oxymora is widespread in literature, advertising, and everyday speech. While some may see them as a contradiction in terms, others see them as a way to express complex ideas in a simple and memorable way.

Oxymoron in Literature

Oxymoron is a literary device that has been used by many famous writers throughout history, including Shakespeare, Tennyson, Alexander Pope , Lord Byron, and Oscar Wilde. It is a figure of speech that combines two contradictory terms or ideas, often resulting in a striking or humorous effect.

In Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet,” Juliet uses an oxymoron when she says, “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” The combination of “sweet” and “sorrow” creates a bittersweet feeling that perfectly captures the emotions of the characters in the scene.

Tennyson’s poem “Lancelot and Elaine” also contains an example of oxymoron when the narrator describes the “cold fire” of Lancelot’s love for Elaine. The contradictory terms “cold” and “fire” convey the conflicting emotions that Lancelot feels towards Elaine.

Alexander Pope, a famous poet of the 18th century, used oxymorons frequently in his work. In his poem “An Essay on Criticism,” he writes, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” The combination of “fools” and “angels” emphasizes the contrast between the two and highlights the foolishness of those who act without thinking.

Lord Byron, another prominent poet of the Romantic era, also used oxymoron in his work. In his poem “Darkness,” he writes, “The bright sun was extinguish’d, and the stars / Did wander darkling in the eternal space.” The combination of “bright” and “extinguished” emphasizes the sudden and complete darkness that has enveloped the world.

Oscar Wilde, a famous playwright and novelist of the late 19th century, also used oxymoron in his work. In his play “The Importance of Being Earnest,” the character Algernon says, “The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” The combination of “pure” and “simple” emphasizes the complexity of the truth and the difficulty of discerning it.

In literature, oxymoron is used to create a striking effect, convey complex emotions, and add depth to characters and themes. It is a powerful tool that has been used by many writers throughout history to enhance their work and captivate their readers.

Common Oxymorons

Oxymorons are a popular literary device that combines two contradicting words to create a unique phrase. These phrases are often used to add humor or emphasize a point, and they can be found in literature, pop culture, and everyday speech. Here are some of the most common oxymorons:

• Sweet sorrow : This oxymoron was popularized by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and refers to the bittersweet feeling of saying goodbye to someone you love.
• Cruel kindness : This phrase is used to describe an action that is meant to be kind but ends up causing harm.
• Jumbo shrimp : This oxymoron is a classic example of contradictory words used to create a phrase that is both humorous and memorable.
• Business ethics : This phrase refers to the moral principles that guide business practices. The use of the word “ethics” in conjunction with “business” creates an oxymoron because many people view business as inherently unethical.
• Deafening silence : This phrase describes a situation where there is complete silence, but the silence is so loud that it feels overwhelming.
• Alone together : This phrase describes a situation where people are physically together but emotionally distant.
• Original copy : This oxymoron is used to describe something that is both unique and a duplicate.
• Same difference : This phrase is used to describe two things that are essentially the same but have minor differences.
• Civil war : This oxymoron is used to describe a war that is fought between two factions of the same country.
• Heavy lightness : This phrase is used to describe a feeling of weightlessness or lightness that is accompanied by a sense of gravity or seriousness.
• Serious vanity : This oxymoron is used to describe a person who takes themselves very seriously but is also vain and concerned with their appearance.
• Misshapen chaos : This phrase is used to describe a situation that is chaotic and disorganized but still has some underlying structure or order.
• Well-seeming forms : This oxymoron is used to describe something that appears to be good or desirable but is actually harmful or dangerous.
• Feather of lead : This phrase is used to describe a feeling of heaviness or burden that is accompanied by a sense of lightness or weightlessness.
• Bright smoke : This oxymoron is used to describe something that appears to be bright or colorful but is actually insubstantial or lacking substance.
• Cold fire : This phrase is used to describe something that appears to be hot or passionate but is actually cold or unfeeling.
• Sick health : This oxymoron is used to describe a situation where a person appears to be healthy but is actually sick or unhealthy.
• Still-waking sleep : This phrase is used to describe a state of being where a person is both asleep and awake at the same time.

Oxymorons are a powerful literary device that can add humor, depth, and complexity to any piece of writing. By combining two contradicting words, writers can create phrases that are memorable, thought-provoking, and impactful.

Oxymoron in Language and Grammar

Oxymorons are figures of speech that combine two contradictory terms or ideas, often for comical or ironic effect. They are commonly used in literature, but also have a place in language and grammar.

In writing, oxymorons can be used to create a sense of tension or contradiction. For example, the phrase “proud humility” combines two seemingly opposite adjectives to create a paradoxical statement. This can be a powerful tool for writers looking to convey complex or layered meanings.

In grammar, oxymorons can be used to describe antonym pairs, which are words that have opposite meanings. For example, the words “hot” and “cold” are antonyms, as are “light” and “dark.” When used together, these words can create an oxymoron, such as “icy hot” or “bright darkness.”

Oxymorons can also be used to describe tautologies, which are statements that are true by definition. For example, the phrase “free gift” is a tautology, since a gift is already something that is given without charge. When used in this way, oxymorons can be a useful tool for clarifying language and avoiding ambiguity.

According to Cambridge Dictionary editors, oxymorons can be used for punning, which is a form of wordplay that involves using multiple meanings of a word or phrase. For example, the phrase “jumbo shrimp” is an oxymoron that plays on the multiple meanings of the word “shrimp,” which can refer both to a small sea creature and a person who is weak or insignificant.

Overall, oxymorons are a versatile tool for writers and speakers looking to create complex, layered meanings in language and grammar. By combining incongruous terms, oxymorons can create a sense of tension, irony, and humor that can be used to great effect in a variety of contexts.

Oxymoron in Context

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two contradictory words or phrases to create a new meaning. It may seem illogical at first, but in context, it can reveal a deeper or hidden truth. Here are some examples of oxymorons in different contexts:

Love is often associated with positive emotions, but it can also be painful and complex. The following oxymorons capture the paradoxical nature of love:

• Bittersweet love
• Sweet agony
• Beautiful chaos

Life is full of contradictions, and oxymorons can help express this complexity:

• Living dead
• Jumbo shrimp

Oxymorons can also be used to describe economic and social inequality:

• Homeless shelter
• Poverty line

Oxymorons can also be used to describe grammatical concepts, such as plural forms:

• Singular plural
• Irregular regulars
• Controlled chaos

Oxymorons can also be used to describe colors and visual art:

• Colorless color
• Beautifully ugly

The meaning of an oxymoron is often dependent on the context in which it is used:

• Open secret
• Virtual reality

Finally, oxymorons can be used to describe the complexities of death and mortality:

• Final draft
• Sweet sorrow

Overall, oxymorons can be a powerful tool for expressing complex ideas and emotions. By combining contradictory words and phrases, they can reveal deeper truths and paradoxes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the definition of an oxymoron?

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines contradictory words or phrases to create a new meaning. It is a literary device that is used to add depth and complexity to a piece of writing. Oxymorons often seem illogical or contradictory at first glance, but in context, they can make sense.

Can you provide some examples of oxymorons?

Some examples of oxymorons include “jumbo shrimp,” “sweet sorrow,” “living dead,” “open secret,” and “pretty ugly.” These phrases combine words with opposite meanings to create a new meaning.

How are oxymorons used in literature?

Oxymorons are often used in literature to create a sense of tension or to add depth to a character or a situation. They can also be used to create irony or to highlight a theme. For example, Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” contains the oxymoron “loving hate,” which highlights the conflicting emotions that the characters feel.

What is the purpose of using oxymorons?

The purpose of using oxymorons is to create a new meaning that is greater than the sum of its parts. They can add depth and complexity to a piece of writing and create a sense of tension or irony. Oxymorons can also be used to highlight a theme or to add humor to a situation.

What are some common misconceptions about oxymorons?

One common misconception about oxymorons is that they are always humorous or illogical. While some oxymorons are used for comedic effect, others are used to create tension or to add depth to a situation. Another misconception is that oxymorons are always two words, but they can also be longer phrases.

How can oxymorons be used for comedic effect?

Oxymorons can be used for comedic effect by combining words with opposite meanings to create a humorous image or situation. For example, the phrase “jumbo shrimp” creates a humorous image of a large shrimp. They can also be used to create puns or wordplay, which can be entertaining for the reader or listener.

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Oxymoron: definition, types & examples.

Oxymoron is one of the few figures of speech that deals with contradictions of sense and meaning. In literature, oxymorons are used to imply the contractions in life that the standard words fail to accommodate due to the notions established on pure binaries.

What is Oxymoron?

Oxymoron is a figure of speech that is mostly used in literary language to create uncanny contrast between contradictory terms by putting them side by side.

The word “Oxymoron” is composed of two Greek words, “ oxys ” meaning sharp or keen and “ moros ” meaning dull, stupid or foolish, having completely contradictory meanings. In that sense, the term itself is oxymoronic in nature.

Types of Oxymorons

Oxymorons can be categorized into different types based on various factors. Depending on the circumstance that the oxymorons are used, they can be categorized as natural, literary, punning, humorous, accidental and deliberate oxymorons . Based on how many words make the oxymoron, they can be divided into single-word and double-word categories.

Single-word Oxymoron

In these oxymorons, two opposite or contrasting ideas are conjugated inside a single word. 

Dependent Morphemes

These sets of oxymorons are made out of two morphemes (the smallest unit in language) that construct a single word. The morphemes are dependent on one another to convey the full meaning. i.e. Fortepiano (that is the formal name of the piano; “piano” means soft and “forte” means loud), preposterous (it means to be devoid of reason; “pre” is something before the start and “post” means after the end of something), superette (small supermarket; “super” means bigger or better and the suffix, “-ette” indicates small) etc. 

Independent Morphemes

These single-word oxymorons can be split into two morphemes that carry contradictory meanings but sit together to represent a combination of both concepts no matter how distinct. The two morphemes in these oxymorons do not depend on one another to be complete. They individually make complete sense and join together to create a more refined meaning as figures of speech. i.e. Spendthrift (someone who spends loads; "spend" is to buy stuff with money and "thrift' means to not be wasteful), bridegroom (the guy getting married; "bride" is the wife and "groom" is the husband at their wedding), bittersweet (sweet but with a bitter aftertaste; "bitter" is a sharp pungent taste or smell and "sweet" is a soft pleasant taste or smell) etc.

Double-word Oxymoron

Any oxymoron that is not a single-word oxymoron is most certainly a double-word one since an oxymoron is about two contradictory ideas. These oxymorons consist of two completely opposite words standing separate from one another and emitting a deeper meaning when considered as one unit. i.e. industrial park, open secret, recorded live etc.

Example of Oxymorons

• Compound Word Oxymorons: Frenemy, love-hate, sophomore, oxymoron, pianoforte etc.
• Adjective + Noun Oxymorons: Controlled chaos, fine mess, deafening silence, peaceful war, heavy lightness etc.
• Adverb + Adjective Oxymorons: Strangely familiar, perfectly imperfect, painfully beautiful, definitely undecided etc.
• Phrasal Oxymoron: Act naturally, agree to disagree, kill with kindness, make haste slowly etc.
• Dead Metaphors: Awful(ly) good, barely clothed, hardly easy, damn(ed) good etc.
• Doublespeak Oxymorons: Real counterfeit, mandatory option, virtually spotless etc.
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Oxymoron Figure of Speech

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Oxymorons aren’t just a quirk of the English language; they’re a powerful figure of speech that can make your writing more compelling. These unique phrases bring together conflicting ideas in a way that adds depth and intrigue to your prose. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or a newbie, understanding how to use oxymorons can make your text pop. For a more detailed understanding, you can explore these oxymoron examples from various sources.

What is an Oxymoron Figure of Speech? – Definition

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two seemingly contradictory or opposite words or ideas to create a new, often complex meaning. For example, phrases like “jumbo shrimp” or “deafening silence” are classic oxymorons that invite readers to explore the tension between the conflicting concepts. If you’re interested in how oxymorons are used in literature, you can check out this article on oxymorons in literature .

What is the best Example of an Oxymoron Figure of Speech?

One of the most iconic examples of an oxymoron in literature is “O brawling love! O loving hate!” from Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” This line perfectly encapsulates the conflicting emotions of love and hate, creating a complex emotional landscape that resonates with readers even today. For those who enjoy poetry, you might find oxymorons in poetry equally fascinating.

100 Oxymoron Figure of Speech Examples

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• Deafening Silence – William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”
• Living Dead – George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead”
• Original Copy – Common parlance
• Act Naturally – Oxymoron in common speech
• Passive Aggressive – Psychological terminology
• Alone Together – Title of a book by Sherry Turkle
• Seriously Funny – Stand-up comedy jargon
• Small Crowd – Reported by news outlets
• Virtual Reality – Tech industry term
• Same Difference – Colloquial expression
• Old News – Common phrase in journalism
• Random Order – Mathematical term
• Found Missing – Police reports
• Awfully Good – Popular critique term
• Minor Crisis – News headline
• Growing Smaller – Economic terminology
• Clearly Confused – Educational language
• Exact Estimate – Construction jargon
• Freezer Burn – Culinary term
• True Myth – C.S. Lewis writings
• Only Choice – Philosophical discussion
• Open Secret – Political term
• Rolling Stop – Traffic terminology
• Paid Volunteer – Nonprofit sector
• Jumbo Shrimp – Culinary arts
• Liquid Gas – Scientific term
• Constant Change – Business jargon
• Passive Resistance – Social activism
• Plastic Glasses – Eyewear industry
• Bittersweet Symphony – Song by The Verve
• Controlled Chaos – Military term
• Definite Maybe – Everyday conversation
• Civil War – Historical events
• Crash Landing – Aviation term
• Actively Waiting – Customer service jargon
• Terribly Pleased – British colloquialism
• Negative Growth – Economic reports
• Tragic Comedy – Shakespearean plays
• Detailed Summary – Academic papers
• Lesser Evil – Political debates
• Cautiously Optimistic – Media interviews
• Painfully Beautiful – Art critique
• Virtual Community – Online platforms
• Harmless Lie – Moral dilemmas
• Random Pattern – Design term
• Unbiased Opinion – Journalism ethics
• Seriously Joking – Social interaction
• Quiet Riot – Band name
• Passive Income – Financial planning
• Old Boys – Elite social clubs
• Ill Health – Medical reports
• Awfully Pretty – Fashion industry
• Walk-on star – Theater term
• Definite Possibility – Scientific jargon
• Pretty Ugly – Pop culture phrase
• Known Secret – Espionage term
• Passive Leadership – Management studies
• Silent Scream – Horror genre
• Advanced Basics – Educational curriculum
• Fuzzy Logic – Computer science
• Larger Half – Common expression
• Holy War – Religious text
• Restless Sleep – Sleep studies
• Same Opposite – Philosophical discourse
• Living Fossil – Paleontological term
• Recorded Live – Entertainment industry
• Student Teacher – Educational field
• Brief Speech – Public speaking
• Genuine Fake – Art forgery
• Constant Variable – Mathematical terminology
• Passive-aggressive – Psychological studies
• Minor Miracle – Religious discourse
• Friendly Fire – Military terminology
• Growing Smaller – Environmental context
• Organized Mess – Personal description
• Original Spin – Political jargon
• Partially Complete – Project status
• Soft Rock – Music genre
• Liquid Solid – Physics term
• Rising Fall – Market trends
• Accurate Rumors – Gossip circles
• Seriously Silly – Children’s books
• Tight Slacks – Fashion paradox
• Controlled Freedom – Political studies
• Qualified Success – Career lingo
• Working Vacation – Corporate culture
• Virtual Friend – Social media term
• Light Darkness – Religious texts
• Fresh Rotten – Food quality
• Painful Pleasure – Emotional complexity
• Quiet Noise – Sound studies
• Sad Smile – Emotional state
• Dry Humor – Comedy style
• Active Retirement – Lifestyle choice
• Complex Simplicity – Artistic expression
• Planned Spontaneity – Social dynamics
• Thoughtless Consideration – Moral dilemma
• Brave Coward – Character analysis
• Blind Sight – Metaphysical discourse
• Near Miss – Aviation reports

Parody Oxymoron Figure of Speech Examples

Dive into the amusing world of parodies where oxymorons play a pivotal role in heightening humor and satire. These contradictory yet compelling phrases are key to crafting parodies that are not only entertaining but also intellectually stimulating.

• Act Naturally – Source: Comedy Skits
• Seriously Joking – Source: Satirical Articles
• Awfully Good – Source: Parody Songs
• Same Difference – Source: Comedy Shows
• Virtual Reality – Source: Tech Parodies
• Organized Chaos – Source: Political Parodies
• Passive-Aggressive – Source: Social Commentary Memes
• Original Copy – Source: Artistic Parodies
• Small Crowd – Source: Theater Performances
• Known Secret – Source: Spy Parodies

Oxymoron Figure of Speech Examples for Class 10

Incorporate oxymorons into your class 10 syllabus to make learning more engaging and multi-dimensional. These phrases help students develop analytical skills while appreciating the complexities of language.

• Deafening Silence – Source: Literature Textbook
• Open Secret – Source: Social Studies
• Passive Resistance – Source: History Book
• Tragic Comedy – Source: Drama Class
• Liquid Gas – Source: Science Textbook
• Bittersweet – Source: Poetry Assignment
• Freezer Burn – Source: Home Economics
• Civil War – Source: History Lessons
• Controlled Chaos – Source: Philosophy Discussions
• Living Dead – Source: English Literature

Oxymorons in Various Contexts

Oxymorons captivate us by marrying contradictory terms into one fascinating expression. This figure of speech is a staple in both literature and everyday language, offering intriguing complexity within simple phrases. Recognizing and understanding oxymorons can enrich your reading experience and elevate your own writing. For a lighter take on the subject, you might enjoy these funny oxymorons .

What Do Oxymorons Represent?

Oxymorons are not mere quirks of language; they are a robust literary tool that embodies paradox and complexity. When two contradictory words are placed together, an oxymoron often captures a more profound truth or complexity that either word couldn’t achieve independently. They are particularly useful in exploring dichotomies, highlighting contradictions, or adding a layer of depth to your thoughts and expressions.

For instance, in the term “deafening silence,” the oxymoron is used to express a silence so intense that it feels almost loud or overwhelming. This helps in capturing the essence of a situation that is too complex to describe with a single word or phrase. So, oxymorons serve as compact vessels that contain within them multifaceted ideas, making them ideal for both literary and everyday usage.

Oxymorons are not mere quirks of language; they are a robust literary tool that embodies paradox and complexity. When two contradictory words are placed together, an oxymoron often captures a more profound truth or complexity that either word couldn’t achieve independently. They are particularly useful in exploring dichotomies, highlighting contradictions, or adding a layer of depth to your thoughts and expressions. If you’re interested in the emotional depth that oxymorons can offer, you might want to read about emotional oxymorons .

What is an Oxymoron Figure of Speech for Kids?

An oxymoron for kids is essentially a simplified version of the complex figure of speech we commonly encounter. Teaching oxymorons to kids can be both educational and entertaining, helping them appreciate the richness and complexity of language at an early age. For more on this, you can visit oxymorons for kids .

Let’s take the example of “bittersweet.” At first glance, “bitter” and “sweet” seem like complete opposites. But when you taste dark chocolate, you realize it’s both! Here, the oxymoron serves as a wonderful introduction to the complexities of flavors, emotions, and situations kids might face. Hence, introducing oxymorons at a young age can serve as a building block for critical thinking, language development, and even emotional intelligence.

In summary, oxymorons for kids aren’t just child’s play; they’re a gateway to a more nuanced understanding of language and life itself.

How do you write an Oxymoron Figure of Speech? – Step by Step Guide

Oxymorons can add depth and nuance to your writing or speech, but how do you craft the perfect oxymoron? Here is a simple, step-by-step guide to help you master this intriguing figure of speech. If you’re looking for a more comical approach, you might find these comical oxymorons interesting.

Step 1: Identify the Context

Before you start, understand the context in which you intend to use the oxymoron. Knowing the theme, subject, or tone can guide you towards choosing a fitting oxymoron.

Step 2: Brainstorm Opposing Concepts

List down words or phrases that are inherently contradictory but could make sense when put together. For instance, “deafening” and “silence” are opposing ideas, but they work in unison to describe an overpowering quietness.

Step 3: Test the Pairing

Before finalizing, see if the words you’ve chosen truly create an impactful oxymoron. The terms should bring a new layer of meaning when combined.

Step 4: Use it in a Sentence

An oxymoron is most effective when it fits naturally into a sentence or phrase. Test out your oxymoron in a full sentence to check if it enhances your point.

Step 5: Review and Revise

Read the sentence out loud or get a second opinion. Make any necessary revisions to ensure the oxymoron adds value to your communication.

Tips for Using Oxymoron Figure of Speech

While oxymorons can be engaging, using them too frequently can lessen their impact. An oxymoron should be pertinent to the subject you are discussing. A misplaced oxymoron can confuse the reader or listener. For more everyday examples, you can check out everyday oxymorons .

Tip 1: Don’t Overdo It

While oxymorons can be engaging, using them too frequently can lessen their impact.

Tip 2: Keep it Relevant

An oxymoron should be pertinent to the subject you are discussing. A misplaced oxymoron can confuse the reader or listener.

Tip 3: Aim for Subtlety

Sometimes the most effective oxymorons are those that aren’t immediately obvious but require a second thought to fully grasp their complexity.

Tip 4: Use in Titles or Headings

Oxymorons catch attention and provoke thought, making them excellent for titles, headings, or slogans.

Tip 5: Experiment with Variations

Don’t hesitate to modify or coin new oxymorons that suit your purpose. Innovation can make your writing truly stand out.

By incorporating these tips and following the step-by-step guide, you can proficiently utilize oxymorons to enrich your writing or speech, adding layers of meaning and drawing your audience into a deeper engagement with your work.

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Definition of oxymoron

Frequently asked questions.

Can a person be an oxymoron?

While we are loath to place restrictions on language use, oxymoron usually refers to a set of contradictory words (such as bittersweet ) rather than to a contradictory person. We must also inform you that an oxymoron and a moron have little in common except that both words come from the Greek word for "foolish" ( mōros ).

What is the difference between oxymoron and paradox ?

An oxymoron is a self-contradicting word or group of words (as in Shakespeare’s line from Romeo and Juliet , "Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate!"). A paradox is a statement or argument that seems to be contradictory or to go against common sense, but that is yet perhaps still true—for example, "less is more."

Is oxymoronic a word?

Yes. Oxymoronic is the adjectival form of oxymoron . Oxymoronically is the adverbial form of the word. There is, we regret to inform you, no commonly used verb form of the word.

Examples of oxymoron in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oxymoron.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Late Greek oxymōron , from neuter of oxymōros pointedly foolish, from Greek oxys sharp, keen + mōros foolish

1657, in the meaning defined above

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Cite this Entry

“Oxymoron.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oxymoron. Accessed 9 Sep. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of oxymoron.

from Greek oxymōros "pointedly foolish," from Greek oxys "sharp, keen" and mōros "foolish"

More from Merriam-Webster on oxymoron

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about oxymoron

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What is an Oxymoron? || Definition & Examples

"what is an oxymoron": a literary guide for english students and teachers.

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What is an Oxymoron? - Transcript (English and Spanish Subtitles Available in Video, Click HERE for Spanish Transcript)

By Ray Malewitz , Oregon State University Associate Professor of American Literatures

15 June 2020

To get a sense of what the term oxymoron means, let’s consider its word origin.  The first half of the word derives from the ancient Greek word “oxus,” meaning sharp. The second half of the word comes from the ancient Greek word “mōros,” meaning dull or foolish. If we put them together, we get the very strange concept: sharply dull. As this origin suggests, oxymoron is itself an oxymoron; it is a rhetorical term that describes words or phrases that, when placed together, create paradoxes or contradictions.  These contradictions seem foolish but, when we think about them a bit, often turn out to be sharp observations about our world.

Let’s hasten slowly to an example. One of the states that borders Oregon is Nevada, and within it is the city of Reno. That city, as many of you know, calls itself “The Biggest Little City in the World,” which seems foolish. How can a you measure the biggest little city?  This slogan goes back to the early twentieth century, when Reno was quite small.  But, as the oxymoron suggests, even at that date, Reno aspired to offer the same “big-city” amenities as the dominant mega-cities of its time—New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and so on. Thus, the oxymoron is sharply dull, or appropriately inappropriate.

oxymoron_reno_example.jpg

Oxymorons are a favorite literary device of poets, particularly when they express complex feelings such as love and desire. Consider the sonnet . One feature of this kind of poem is its tendency to describe love as a strange mixture of pain and pleasure.  Here’s an example from Francesco Petrarch, the creator of the form:

Sweet anger, sweet disdain and sweet peace, sweet ills, sweet troubles, and sweet burdens, sweet speech, and sweetly understood, now with sweet fire, now filled with sweet airs:

soul, don't complain, but suffer in silence, and temper the sweet bitterness that hurt you with the sweet honour loving her has brought you to whom I say: 'You alone please me.' (The Canzoniere 205)

Here’s another from Lady Mary Wroth’s 17 th century sonnet sequence “Pamphilia to Amphilanthus,” which describes the painful pleasure the speaker feels when thinking of her lover:

Heat in desire, while frosts of care I prove,

    Wanting my love, yett surfett doe with love

    Burne, and yett freeze, better in hell to bee.

Most famously, Shakespeare gets in on the act in Romeo and Juliet , when, early in the play, Romeo contemplates his feelings for his first love, Rosaline (before, of course, meeting Juliet):

“Why then, O brawling love! O loving hate! O any thing, of nothing first create! O heavy lightness, serious vanity, Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms, Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is! This love feel I, that feel no love in this.”

romeo_and_juliet_oxymorons.jpg

What all of these oxymorons convey is the strange, maddening mixture of feelings that constitutes Petrarchan desire and that continues to structure the way we think about love to this day. As the contemporary rhetorician John Cougar Mellencamp sings, “Sometimes love don’t feel like it should, / You make it, hurts so good.”

Let me leave you with one final, more complex example of an oxymoron taken from Claude McKay’s famous sonnet “America.” Within the poem, the Jamaican-American poet repurposes the Petrarchan convention of pleasure/pain to describe his complex feelings for the country where he had made his home:

Although she feeds me bread of bitterness,

And sinks into my throat her tiger’s tooth,

Stealing my breath of life, I will confess

I love this cultured hell that tests my youth!

claude_mckay_oxymoron_example.jpg

Within the poem, America is represented metaphorically as McKay’s unrequited lover, a place of immense beauty and opportunity but also a place of racism, hatred, and violence.  This paradoxical history of America is embodied in the oxymoron “cultured hell,” which initially seems a foolish phrase but upon closer examination reveals a sharp portrait of the nation’s many contradictions. I encourage you to read the rest of the poem to see how McKay processes this oxymoronic love and, in a related sense, how he breathes new life into a very old genre .

Want to cite this?

MLA Citation: Malewitz, Raymond. "What is an Oxymoron?" Oregon State Guide to English Literary Terms, 15 Jun. 2020, Oregon State University, https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/what-oxymoron. Accessed [insert date].

Further Resources for Teachers

W.B. Yeats' poem "Easter 1916," which describes the Easter Uprising in Ireland, includes a oxymoronic refrain "terrible beauty."

Writing Prompt: What does Yeats mean by this oxymoron?  How can beauty be terrible?  And how does the oxymoron help to reflect the sudden change he mentions throughout the poem?

Interested in more video lessons? View the full series:

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100 Awfully Good Examples of Oxymorons

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An oxymoron is a figure of speech , usually one or two words, in which seemingly contradictory terms appear side by side. This contradiction is also known as a  paradox . Writers and poets have used oxymorons (or oxymora) for centuries as a literary device to describe life's inherent conflicts and incongruities. In speech, oxymorons can lend a sense of humor, irony, or sarcasm .

Below is a bit of background on the use of oxymorons in the English language, and 100 examples you may have come across or even used.

Using Oxymorons

The word oxymoron is itself oxymoronic, which is to say, contradictory. The word is derived from two ancient Greek words: oxys , which means "sharp," and moronos, which means "dull" or "stupid." Take this sentence, for example:

"This was a minor crisis and the only choice was to drop the product line," (Todd 2007).

There are two oxymorons in this sentence: "minor crisis" and "only choice." If you're learning English as a second language, you might be confused by these figures of speech. Read literally, they contradict themselves. A crisis is defined as a time of serious difficulty or importance. By that measure, no crisis is unimportant or minor. Similarly, a choice implies more than one option, whereas the word only implies the opposite.

But once you become fluent in English , it's easy to recognize such oxymorons for the figures of speech they are. As the example's author, Richard Watson Todd, said, "The true beauty of oxymorons is that, unless we sit back and really think, we happily accept them as normal English."

Oxymorons have been used since the days of the ancient Greek poets. William Shakespeare was known to sprinkle them throughout his plays, poems, and sonnets. In Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1, we have a full 13 of them!

O brawling love! O loving hate! O anything of nothing first create! O heavy lightness, serious vanity! Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms! Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health! Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is! This love feel I, that feel no love in this.

Oxymorons also feature in modern comedy and politics. The conservative political writer William Buckley, for instance, became famous for quotes like, "An intelligent liberal is an oxymoron." Likewise, in 1975 comedian George Carlin popularized a few notable ones, including "military intelligence" and "business ethics."

100 Examples of Oxymorons

Like other kinds of figurative language , oxymorons are often found in literature. As shown by this list of 100 awfully good examples, oxymorons are also part of our everyday speech. Here, you'll find common figures of speech, plus references to works of classic and pop culture.

• absent presence (Sidney 1591)
• alone together
• beggarly riches (Donne 1624)
• bittersweet
• brisk vacancy (Ashbery 1975)
• cheerful pessimist
• clearly misunderstood
• comfortable misery (Koontz 2001)
• conspicuous absence
• cool passion
• crash landing
• cruel kindness
• darkness visible (Milton 1667)
• deafening silence
• deceptively honest
• definite maybe
• deliberate speed
• devout atheist
• eloquent silence
• exact estimate
• extinct life
• falsely true (Tennyson 1862)
• festive tranquility
• found missing
• freezer burn
• friendly takeover
• genuine imitation
• growing smaller
• historical present
• humane slaughter
• idiot savant
• impossible solution
• intense apathy
• joyful sadness
• jumbo shrimp
• larger half
• lascivious grace (Shakespeare 1609)
• lead balloon
• liquid marble (Jonson 1601)
• living dead
• living sacrifices
• loosely sealed
• loud whisper
• loyal opposition
• magic realism
• melancholy merriment (Byron 1819)
• militant pacifist
• minor miracle
• negative growth
• negative income
• one-man band
• only choice
• openly deceptive
• open secret
• original copy
• overbearingly modest
• paper tablecloth
• paper towel
• peaceful conquest
• plastic glasses
• plastic silverware
• poor health
• pretty ugly
• properly ridiculous
• random order
• recorded live
• resident alien
• same difference
• scalding coolness (Hemingway 1940)
• seriously funny
• shrewd dumbness
• silent scream
• small crowd
• "The Sound of Silence" (Simon 1965)
• static flow
• student teacher
• "sweet sorrow" (Shakespeare 1595)
• terribly good
• theoretical experience
• transparent night (Whitman 1865)
• true fiction
• unbiased opinion
• unconscious awareness
• upward fall
• working vacation

On first appearance, oxymorons may seem like the result of a thoughtless writer or speaker—but in fact, they're a wonderfully useful figure of speech that can add complexity and humor—which may or may not be an unbiased opinion.

• Ashbery, John. Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror . Viking Press, 1975.
• Byron, Lord. "Don Juan." 1819.
• Donne, John. Devotions upon Emergent Occasions . 1624.
• Hemingway, Ernest. For Whom the Bell Tolls. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1940.
• Jonson, Ben. "Poetaster." 1601.
• Koontz, Dean. One Door Away From Heaven . Bantam Books, 2001.
• Milton, John. Paradise Lost . Samuel Simmons, 1667.
• Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet . 1595.
• Shakespeare, William. "Sonnet 40." 1609.
• Sidney, Philip. Astrophel and Stella . 1591.
• Simon, Paul. "The Sound of Silence." Tom Wilson, 1965.
• Tennyson, Alfred. " Lancelot and Elaine." Idylls of the King . 1862.
• Todd, Richard Watson. Much Ado About English: Up and Down the Bizarre Byways of a Fascinating Language. Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 2007.
• Whitman, Walt. "When Lilacs Last in the Door-yard Bloom’d." Sequel to Drum-Taps . 1865.

5 Common Figures of Speech Explained

• Figure of Speech: Definition and Examples
• How to Write a Summary (With Examples)
• The 100 Most Important Words in English
• 100 Key Terms Used in the Study of Grammar
• What Is a Phrase? Definition and Examples in Grammar
• The 201 Most Commonly Misspelled Words in English
• Commonly Confused Words: Inhuman and Inhumane
• To, Too, and Two: How to Choose the Right Word
• A List of Exclamations and Interjections in English
• Basic Grammar: What Is a Diphthong?
• What You Should Know About Travel Writing
• What Is a Grammatical Error?
• Transferred Epithet Definition and Examples
• Past Participles in English Grammar
• What Are Word Blends?
• Subordinating Conjunctions