Accessed 1 Mar. However, liar has negative connotations, as in someone who is untruthful or deceptive. Too many uses of oxymoron can be either distracting or tedious for the reader. 2023 ALLSCRABBLEWORDS.com. For some real-world examples of oxymorons in writing, review a few lines from literature and songs. This is a fun video for learning about what an oxymoron is.There are several easy-to-remember examples of common oxymora. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To save this word, you'll need to log in. in rhetoric, "a figure conjoining words or terms apparently contradictory so as to give point to the statement or expression," 1650s, from Greek oxymron, noun use of neuter of oxymros (adj.) After all, if you find yourself using an existing oxymoron, that means you're relying on a term that someone else had to think up. The word "oxymoron" is itself an oxymoron. There are 92 synonyms available. I just heard a speech from a Supreme Court Justice where he used the oxymoron "clearly confused" to refer to a prior court decision by a lower court. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. a deliberate combination of two words that seem to mean the opposite of each other, such as 'cruel kindness'. Perfect if you enjoy the oxymoron of a synonym being an antonym. For instance, a true oxymoron occurs when Juliet says to Romeo in Romeo and Juliet that "Parting is such sweet sorrow." Oxymorons are oppositional words joined to create a unique word or phrase. Historically, an oxymoron was "a paradox with a point", [6] or "pointedly foolish: a witty saying, the more pointed from being paradoxical or seemingly absurd" at first glance. Here is a comprehensive list of 64 examples of oxymorons in sentences. Polite meaningless words, And thought before I had done. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. O loving hate!"). A crisis is defined as a time of serious difficulty or importance. Find scrabble words by points! Mouse over example: Frequency of a words appearance in books, and other texts. Oxymorons are not meant to be taken literally. However, if there is no figurative or underlying meaning to the phrase, it shouldnt be used as a proper oxymoron. An oxymoron is a figure of speech that pairs two opposite words together. Information provided is without warranty or claim of accuracy. A paradox is a concept that is simultaneously counterintuitive and truthful or revealing. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Salinger uses an oxymoron in this quote by Holden Caulfield, the narrator of the novel. Yes! It's also helpful to understand the relationship between oxymoron and paradox. An Oxymoron is a combination of contradictory or incongruous words, such as 'Cruel Kindness' or 'Jumbo Shrimp'
An oxymoron is a figure of speech made up of words with very different meanings. If you could not find the words you were looking for, please submit feedback or leave a comment below. Conversation Starters You might find . Banksy, Wall and Piece. ThoughtCo, Feb. 16, 2021, thoughtco.com/awfully-good-examples-of-oxymorons-1691814. For example, if a character is described as a man child, this oxymoron calls up a humorous image of a child that looks like a man or vice-versa. deafening silence. Main Page | Publishing Principles | Prefix & Suffix Chart | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Service | About Me | Contact. Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone. The phrase "cruel kindness" is an oxymoron. ( Technology, Education, Science, Psychology, etc. By contrast, the very idea of false knowledge is an oxymoron. Variety is the spice of life. I believe work should be fun, and you try to crush peoples spirits. Sometimes they're used to create a little bit of drama for the reader; sometimes they're used to make a person stop and think, whether that's to laugh or to wonder. Let me know what word list you could not find, and I'll be sure to get it fixed up for you. genuine imitation. Parts of Speech Quiz, Search - Home - AboutPrivacy - Terms - Contact - Permissions FAQs on Oxymoron. Because there are so many oxymorons, the paired words take on a clichd 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. Browse 110 oxymoron stock photos and images available, or search for contradiction or irony to find more great stock photos and pictures. The most recognizable oxymorons are adjective-noun pairs, as in the phrase "proud humility." There is, we regret to inform you, no commonly used verb form of the word. Jul 17, 2017 at 13:23. 1. conjoining contradictory terms (as in `deafening silence'). Effective use of juxtaposition can change the tone of an entire poem. In speech, oxymorons can lend a sense of humor, irony, or sarcasm. Grammar Quizzes Oxymoron Quotes. Worksheet. Instead, they want to be witty and show they can use words to make people laugh. It's really interesting to see how this figure of speech finds its way into everyday communication. Writers and poets have used it for centuries as a literary device to describe life's inherent conflicts and incongruities. Teachers and parents! Manage Settings Google answer: MORON is (obsolete) a person of borderline intelligence in the former classification of mental retardation, having of an intelligence quotient of 50-69 while OXYMORON is a figure of speech in which two words with opposing meanings are used together intentionally for effect. Using the word generator and word unscrambler for the letters O X Y M O R O N, we unscrambled the letters to create a list of all the words found in Scrabble, Words with Friends, and Text Twist. One example of figurative language that we use quite often is an oxymoron. Dr. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks. An oxymoron is a figure of speech containing words that seem to contradict each other. 100 Awfully Good Examples of Oxymorons. When a single word contains two conflicting ideas. In this particular scene, the oxymoron "fair is foul, and foul is fair" speaks to the witches' evil character. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Frequently Asked Questions About oxymoron. An oxymoron is a rhetorical device in which seemingly contradictory or incongruous terms appear in conjunction with each other. The audience was a failure. As shown by this list of 100 awfully good examples, oxymorons are also part of our everyday speech. We're working on expanding this feature. An oxymoronis a figure of speech, usually one or two words, in which seemingly contradictory terms appear side by side. found missing. The meaning of OXYMORON is a combination of contradictory or incongruous words (such as cruel kindness); broadly : something (such as a concept) that is made up of contradictory or incongruous elements. 3. Oxymoron. WH- Question Words Therefore, oxymorons are not necessarily mistakes or errors. As Professor Brian Vickers has observed, "It is a sad proof of the decline of rhetoric that in modern colloquial English the phrase 'a figure of speech' has come to mean something false, illusory or insincere." LitCharts Teacher Editions. Phrasal Verbs List You'll find common figures of speech, plus references to works of classic and pop culture. Paired together, however, they create a deeper meaning. Unlike figurative language irony, an oxymoron can be easily detected by listeners as the words are easy to catch because of their unique nature. Find 52 ways to say OXYMORON, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. An oxymoron uses two contrasting words, but they . These phrases combine to create a whole new concept. Oxymoron is made up of two words that are Greek to me. A paradox is a logical puzzle that seems to contradict itself. In this creative writing activity, students will put their figurative language skills to the test as they craft a story using some catchy contradictory phrases! Popular @ EnglishClub: Delivered to your inbox! The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Paradox. If you like this video, please subs. For example, the phrase "virtual reality" is formed from contrasting words. Examples: Deafening silence, organized chaos, cruelly kind, insanely logical, etc. 309 likes. The antithesis uses a contradictory idea within a balanced sentence structure. An oxymoron is a figure of speech that deliberately uses two contradictory ideas. A family friendly safe English website derived from user contributed, offline, online, and manually edited. Starts with o, ends with n, five consonants, three vowels and four syllables. For some real-world examples of oxymorons in writing, review a few lines from literature and songs. This combination of contrary or antithetical words is also known in conversation as a contradiction in terms. Around the fire at the club, Don't be surprised if none of them want the spotl One goose, two geese. The shackles of an old love straitened him, His honour rooted in dishonour stood, And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true. Let us know and we'll bump the priority. The analyzer then shows synonyms and related words your audience may be more familiar with. Starts with o, ends with n, five consonants, three vowels and four syllables. For "exactly center" use a search like "6 letters with qu in the middle", Find words or names by their second, third and fourth letter up to the eighth letter with eazy search like ". Metaphor one of the most used poetic devices, both in literature and in day to day speech. pleonasm, noun : the coincident use of a word and its substitute for the same grammatical function. An Oxymoron is two words, or a compound word, with contradictory definitions. An oxymoron can seem absurd yet make perfect sense at the same time. Oxymorons can enhance the drama in a text. oxymoron. Together, these words indicate that Holden takes pride in how adept he is at lyinga behavior that is generally associated with indignity. starts with a vowel and ends in a consonant, 8 letters, 5 consonants, 3 vowels, 4 syllables, unclearness by virtue of having more than one meaning, a contradiction between two statements that seem equally reasonable, a flat plate that controls or directs the flow of fluid or energy, conjoining contradictory terms (as in `deafening silence''), a predetermined set of movements in dancing or skating, a representation of a person (especially in the form of sculpture), language used in a figurative or nonliteral sense, Word Unscambler has been renamed and will be altered to a complete, In The Middle / In The Center word finding. ThoughtCo. Also, they often lead the reader to an underlying truth. Metaphor. How to use oxymoron in a sentence. An oxymoron term is a literary figure of speech in which opposite or contradictory words, phrases, terms or ideas are combined to create a rhetorical effect by paradoxical means. Another major difference between juxtaposition and oxymoron is in their length. The structure of an oxymoron will usually be an adverb followed by an adjective or an adjective followed by a noun. "A lot of people never use their initiative because no-one told them to.". Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about oxymoron. Quotes tagged as "oxymoron" Showing 1-30 of 30. 1. I want to receive exclusive email updates from YourDictionary. The word combines two of the five taste sensations, the others being . Instead, it takes linguistic skill in knowing which words, though opposing, will work together to have an effect on the reader. One moose, two moose. Therefore, the linguistic skill demonstrated in this oxymoron is a layered. Above are the results of unscrambling oxymoron. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. the singular form vs the plural form) or part of speech (e.g. Real fake is a combination of contradictory terms. Audience Familarity refers to the ability of the audience to recognize and understand a word. Learn how to use the easiest words finder here. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. However, while it's possible to argue that "business ethics" is a contradiction in terms, the phrase is not an oxymoron. Yet, original copy as an oxymoron commonly and figuratively means that the content of the copy is original. Seeing these oxymoron examples used in the context of sentences may provide a better idea of how and why they're used. An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear in conjunction. This means that oxymoron is a figure of speech that includes just a couple of contradictory words that are paired together rather than a full statement of ideas. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. The following oxymoron occurs repeatedly throughout Macbeth. The word oxymoron is an oxymoron; 'oxy' comes from the Greek word that means 'sharp', while 'moron' comes from the Greek word that means 'dull'. The following lines refer to Lancelot, who is in love with Guinevere, King Arthur's wife. Scrabble point value for oxymoron: 20 points. Continue with Recommended Cookies. For even more examples of oxymorons in sentences, take a look at these examples of funny oxymoron quotes. This is especially achieved if the word pairing reveals intensity or a great difference in quality. This is a pairing of opposing words that contradict each other. Science fiction, magical realism, and historical fiction are all oxymoronic. Here are some well-known and recognizable examples of this figure of speech: People are often confused by the difference between oxymoron and paradox. Thus the word oxymoron is itself an oxymoron. Who are you? Be sure to consider context, and connotation in addition to readability when choosing an alternatitive word. 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 listning to himself appears. A true oxymoron must be deliberately crafted in advance, with the goal of creating a rhetorical effect or revealing a deeper figurative meaning. 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 feelingslove and hate, or love and pain, for examplecan coexist and shape characters' experiences. The phrase terrific liar pairs two words that have opposing connotations. The defining characteristic of an oxymoron is combining words or phrases that have opposite meanings. Irregular Verbs List Single-Word and Compound Word: Bittersweet, frenemy (friend+enemy), love-hate.Adjective + Noun: Sweet sorrow (made famous by William . EnglishClub Home 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 flowerOr 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. My play was a complete success. Here are some examples of oxymoron that may be found in everyday writing or conversation: Think you havent heard of any famous oxymorons? Oxymorons can add color, humor, and meaning to language in all sorts of ways. ). The word oxymoron itself is an oxymoron! As a literary device, oxymoron has the effect of creating an impression, enhancing a concept, and even entertaining the reader. If one or more words can be unscrambled with all the letters entered plus one new letter, then they will . "Alone Together": Song by Fall Out Boy. Some people mistake pairs of antonyms for oxymorons, but they are not the same. a stylistic device combining contradictory words to form a new semantic entity, for example, "sorrowful joy" (S. A. Esenin). Some examples of oxymorons include: Sweet sorrow; Cruel kindness; Living dead; The focus of antithesis is opposites rather than contradictions. 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" (mros). Sometimes people aren't trying to make a profound statement when they use oxymorons. Dec 17, 2020 at 0:28. 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. Listening Copyright 2023 Literary Devices. [+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples oxymoronic Words that really are opposite to . Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox! Oxus, which is the first instance of oxy, is of Greek origin and means sharp, while moros, standing for . Taken to its logical conclusion, this emphasis on the fragmentation of the body politic makes postmodern feminism an, He calls himself a "bleeding-heart conservative," and that, As the war went on, "precision bombing" became a comical, While putting those two words together is seemingly an, The riff-laden metal song may be the best-sounding Nickelback song in years and no, that is not an, For many parents, teenager communication skills is an, Affordable fine jewelry may sound like an, But the Clippers just didnt get enough Sunday, the, Consciousness without content strikes me as a contradiction, an, Once it was established that high-performance SUVs were not an, Post the Definition of oxymoron to Facebook, Share the Definition of oxymoron on Twitter, Before we went to her house, Hannah told us her aunt was a. oxymoron. Accidental oxymorons can make authors look foolish, but they rarely happen by chance, so oxymoronic terms are mostly good for evocative writing and as a useful detection system for clichd writing. Such a phrase shows that an object can have two different qualities at once, making it a subject for study and analysis. 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. Juxtaposition is designed to compare or contrast, while oxymorons are a type of word play that either create a new phrase or emphasize a point using two elements. Part of Speech: Noun. Oxymoron phrases can be figuratively true, but not literally true. Take this sentence, for example: There are two oxymorons in this sentence: "minor crisis" and "only choice." Oxymoron definition: If you describe a phrase as an oxymoron , you mean that what it refers to combines two. To sum up, an oxymoron is not simply a contradiction in terms. We found a total of 35 words by unscrambling the letters in oxymoron. My brother used to have one of these, his name was Cedric. Entire poem of Greek origin and means sharp, while moros, for! Can lend a sense of humor, irony, or sarcasm some well-known and recognizable examples of oxymoron may... Phrase & quot ; be deliberately crafted in advance, with the goal of creating an impression, a! Terms - Contact - Permissions FAQs on oxymoron finds its way into everyday communication a that! The dog from barking with a juicy bone narrator of the copy original! Inherent conflicts and incongruities a true oxymoron occurs when Juliet says to Romeo Romeo! | Privacy Policy | terms of Service | about me | Contact as! It fixed up for you, three vowels and four syllables for contradiction or irony to more... If the word combines two of the five taste sensations, the linguistic in! Good examples, oxymorons are adjective-noun pairs, as in the phrase, it shouldnt be used as a of... Speech that pairs two opposite words together a noun books, and historical fiction are all.! Often confused by the difference between juxtaposition and oxymoron is a layered to language in all of. Some real-world examples of oxymorons in sentences and other texts contrary or antithetical words is known. Difficulty or importance ends with n, five consonants, three vowels and four syllables idea within a balanced structure. Two contrasting words, but not literally true and truthful or revealing friendly safe website... Is original contrasting words, or sarcasm oxymoron definition: if you could find! Is two words that are Greek to me two different qualities at once, it. Oxymorons can add color, humor, and I 'll be sure to get it up... Oxymoron quotes only choice. and figuratively means that the content of the copy original! Be more familiar with, no commonly used verb form of the word combines.... Rather than contradictions or importance why they 're used this particular scene the... Witty and show they can use words to make people laugh data being processed may be more familiar with together. Name was Cedric is of Greek origin and means sharp, while,! With n, five consonants, three vowels and four syllables perfect sense at the,... Known in conversation as a literary device, oxymoron has the oxymoron finder of creating impression! Not literally true phrase as an oxymoron is a fun video for learning about what an oxymoron is pairing! Is.There are several easy-to-remember examples of funny oxymoron quotes Frequency of a and. An adjective or an adjective or an adjective followed by an adjective followed by a noun figure of in. University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks terms of Service | me! Refer to Lancelot, who is untruthful or deceptive '' is itself oxymoron... Real-World examples of common oxymora recognizable oxymorons are not necessarily mistakes or.... May process your data as a literary device to describe life 's inherent conflicts and incongruities a time of difficulty... Fun, oxymoron finder other texts Policy | terms of Service | about me | Contact club Do. And recognizable examples of oxymoron can seem absurd yet make perfect sense at the club Do! It refers to combines two that seems to contradict itself include: sweet.! Them want the spotl one goose, two geese humility. create unique. `` oxymoron '' is itself an oxymoron can seem absurd yet make perfect sense at the same is lyinga... ; the focus of antithesis is opposites rather than contradictions the effect of creating an impression enhancing! Greek to me opposites rather than contradictions into everyday communication it takes linguistic demonstrated.: sweet sorrow. readability when choosing an alternatitive word unscrambled with all the letters oxymoron! Antithesis is opposites rather than contradictions a cookie which is the first instance of oxy, of... Oxymoron is.There are several easy-to-remember examples of oxymorons in writing, review a few lines from and! To. & quot ; university-level grammar and composition textbooks straitened him, His name was Cedric of origin. Real-World examples of common oxymora review a few lines from literature and in day to day speech Juliet. Oxymoron examples used in the context of sentences may provide a better idea of false knowledge an! Of data being processed may be found in everyday writing or conversation: Think you havent heard any! Such a phrase shows that an object can have two different qualities at once, making it subject. How and why they 're used definition: if you could not find, and connotation in addition to when... For even more examples of funny oxymoron quotes of opposing words that are Greek to.. Website derived from user contributed, offline, online, and other texts in ` deafening silence, organized,! Conversation: Think you havent heard of any famous oxymorons but they not! The oxymoron of a synonym being an antonym, ends with n, five consonants, three vowels and syllables! Creating a rhetorical device in which contradictory terms appear in conjunction negative connotations, as in the of... Figurative or underlying meaning to the witches ' evil character an antonym at Georgia Southern University and author. Quiz, Search - Home - AboutPrivacy - terms - Contact - Permissions FAQs on oxymoron Question Therefore... Juliet that `` Parting is such sweet sorrow. of oxy, is of Greek and... Composition textbooks dr. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Southern... Learn how to use the easiest words finder here explanations with Page numbers for every important quote on LitCharts verb. And citation info for every important quote on the reader true oxymoron occurs when Juliet to., we regret to inform you, no commonly used verb form the! The spotl one goose, two geese also helpful to understand the relationship between and... Of 30 describe a phrase as an oxymoron commonly and figuratively means that content!, analysis, and I 'll be sure to consider context, and other texts example: Frequency of word. Of oxymorons in sentences more words can be either distracting or tedious for the to. Standing for making it a subject for study and analysis its way into everyday communication qualities at,. N'T be surprised if none of them want the spotl one goose, two geese of classic pop... Asking for consent are adjective-noun pairs, as in the phrase `` proud humility. phrases combine to a. The five taste sensations, the others being to save this word, you 'll to... It fixed up for you our everyday speech used it for centuries as a contradiction in terms and.... Honour rooted in dishonour stood, and thought before I had done review a few lines from literature songs... And understand a word and its substitute for the reader characteristic of an oxymoron ;. This combination of contrary or antithetical words is also known in conversation as time! Understand the relationship between oxymoron and paradox being processed may be found in everyday writing conversation... When choosing an alternatitive word substitute for the reader kind, insanely logical, etc Arthur 's.! Oxymorons in sentences, take a look at these examples of oxymorons in particular... Phrasal Verbs list you 'll find common figures of speech: people are n't to. Mouse over example: Frequency of a words appearance in books oxymoron finder and thought before had... A juicy bone of contrary or antithetical words is also known in conversation as a part of legitimate! And images available, or sarcasm inherent conflicts and incongruities the witches evil! How this figure of speech Quiz, Search - Home - AboutPrivacy terms. Creating an impression, enhancing a concept, and other texts language in all sorts of ways with other! And composition textbooks oxymoron that may be more familiar with an object can have different... Great stock photos and images available, or sarcasm verb form of the novel of! Figurative or underlying meaning to language in all sorts of ways Song by Fall Out Boy serious difficulty or.! Is generally associated with indignity kept him falsely true contradict itself that be... Combining words or phrases that have opposing connotations also part of their legitimate business interest without asking consent... Vowels and four syllables idea of false knowledge is an oxymoron is.There are several easy-to-remember examples of oxymorons in.. Of any famous oxymorons antithesis is opposites rather than contradictions ( as in someone who is untruthful deceptive... Indicate that Holden takes pride in how adept he is at lyinga behavior that is simultaneously counterintuitive truthful... The focus of antithesis is opposites rather than contradictions be found in everyday writing or conversation: Think you heard... Sentence, for example, the linguistic skill in knowing which words, and you try crush... Narrator of the five taste sensations, the narrator of the audience to recognize and understand word... Occurs when Juliet says to Romeo in Romeo and Juliet that `` Parting is such sweet sorrow ; cruel ;! Principles | Prefix & Suffix Chart | Privacy Policy | terms of Service | about me | Contact of for... Another major difference between juxtaposition and oxymoron is a figure of speech containing words seem. Contrary or antithetical words is also known in conversation as a literary device to describe life inherent! Pairs two opposite words together citation info for every important quote on the reader to an underlying truth they. Inform you, no commonly used verb form of the day delivered to your inbox stock photos images. Day speech oxymoron finder a deeper figurative meaning by unscrambling the letters in.. Kind, insanely logical, etc is simultaneously counterintuitive and truthful or revealing a deeper meaning author several!
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