Oxymoron
noun /ˌɒk.siˈmɔː.rɒn/ — A figure of speech combining contradictory terms
Definition
A combination of two contradictory or opposing words placed together for effect — creating meaning through contradiction rather than in spite of it.
Beyond the definition
The compressed paradox. An oxymoron doesn't resolve its contradiction; it holds both sides in productive tension.
Origin & history
From Greek 'oxymoros' — 'oxys' (sharp, keen) + 'moros' (dull, foolish). The word is itself an oxymoron: sharply dull.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
Bittersweet. Deafening silence. Living death. The oxymoron forces the reader to hold two truths at once.
Her writing was full of oxymorons — she understood that the best truths resist summary.
'Organised chaos' became the oxymoron that perfectly described the studio.
Synonyms
paradox, contradiction, antithesis, irony
Antonyms
consistency, agreement
Related words
Oxymoron vs paradox
An oxymoron is a brief figure of speech using two contradictory terms. A paradox is a broader statement or situation that seems contradictory but may contain an underlying truth.
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Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Repairing pottery with gold seams
Hands hold a fragment of a broken pottery bowl against a partially reassembled vessel using gold material.
The concept of 'broken-but-gold' acts as a visual oxymoron, bringing together the opposing ideas of destruction and perfection. The gold seams create meaning through this contradiction, showing that the vessel is both damaged and, because of the repair, more complete.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration