Oxymoron
noun /ˌɒk.sɪˈmɔː.rɒn/ — A figure of speech using contradictory terms together.
Definition
A rhetorical figure in which contradictory terms are combined — 'living death', 'cruel kindness', 'deafening silence'. The oxymoron forces two incompatible ideas into a single phrase, creating a tension that can illuminate something neither term could alone.
Beyond the definition
Oxymorons capture the situations where reality contradicts logic — where things that should be opposites turn out to describe the same moment. 'Bittersweet' is the oxymoron that experience validates.
Origin & history
From Greek 'oxymoros' (sharp-dull); from 'oxys' (sharp) + 'moros' (dull, foolish). The word is itself an oxymoron: the sharp fool.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
'Military intelligence' and 'government efficiency' are offered as oxymorons — the humor depending on whether you believe in both things.
The phrase 'clearly confused' captures something that pure contradiction cannot: a confusion so thorough it has its own clarity.
She felt the oxymoron of her situation: completely free and completely lost at the same time.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Oxymoron” when the meaning fits your context: A rhetorical figure in which contradictory terms are combined — 'living death', 'cruel kindness', 'deafening silence'. The oxymoron forces two incompatible ideas into a single phrase, creating a tension that can illuminate something neither term could alone.
Synonyms
contradiction in terms, self-contradiction
Antonyms
tautology, repetition
Related words
Oxymoron vs paradox
An oxymoron combines two contradictory words side-by-side (e.g., 'jumbo shrimp'). A paradox is a full statement or situation that appears self-contradictory but may hold 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
Visually Contradictory Elements
An orator gestures to a fragile seedling in one hand and a heavy iron chain.
The stark visual opposition of the iron chain and the seedling acts as an oxymoron. By forcing two incompatible concepts together, it creates a tension that illuminates a truth neither could represent alone.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Oxymoron" mean?
Oxymoron is noun meaning: A figure of speech using contradictory terms together.. A rhetorical figure in which contradictory terms are combined — 'living death', 'cruel kindness', 'deafening silence'. The oxymoron forces two incompatible ideas into a single phrase, creating a tension that can illuminate something neither term could alone.
Where does the word "Oxymoron" come from?
From Greek 'oxymoros' (sharp-dull); from 'oxys' (sharp) + 'moros' (dull, foolish). The word is itself an oxymoron: the sharp fool.