An oxymoron is a figure of speech combining terms that are usually contradictory of one another. Some examples are:
jumbo shrimp / colossal shrimp /extremely average /same difference / living dead / bad health / calculated risk / cruel to be kind / the sound of silence ~ deafening silence / open secret /almost pregnant / brutally handsome / blind eye / guest host / realistic fiction / unbiased opinion.
Some examples you will find are offered as oxymorons to make a point, such as: honest lawyer
military intelligence
business ethics
religious tolerance
Microsoft Works
What an Oxymoron Is
The original oxymoron is "sweet and sour" (the Greek elements are: 'oxy' = acid, sharp and 'moron' = sweet, soft) -- nowadays "bittersweet" is perhaps the most common example, describing something that gives us pleasure but also has elements of sadness, regret or disappointment. An oxymoron is therefore a phrase usually involving two terms that seem to be contradictory or paradoxical but are both true. It should be distinguished from "a contradiction in terms" which means that one term or the other is likely to be untrue, that one term logically excludes the other one (the classic joke is "military intelligence"), however people often use the term "oxymoron" for a "contradiction in terms".
Perhaps what is most paradoxical and a little ironic is that oxymorons are often used in the English language and they are usually perfectly well understood, even though they are contradictory. But, then again, the boundaries of language and the shifting landscape of experience never quite match up, so it's a useful method of making people think about what you are trying to describe.
The following sentences and phrases are examples of oxymorons. The oxymorons are underlined and there is a brief explanation of why the underlined is considered an oxymoron.
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Here is a long paragraph with lots of them:
I can picture my friend 'Barking' Eddie, it's a pretty ugly sight. I see him half-naked, sipping non-alcoholic beer from his plastic glass. Then from time-to-time he nibbles on his cold hotdog, which is smothered in hot chili sauce. For pudding Eddie will be having freezer-burnt, white chocolate ice cream, with a plain fudge topping. Next week Eddie will be chaotically organizing a working holiday for Hell's Angels. This is a new tradition, as they will be spending a whole half-day on the top floor of his low-rise office. They are hoping to watch a live recording of a programme about turning green Oranges into non-stick glue.
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Observations in Literature
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."
(William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet)
(G.K. Chesterton)
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jumbo shrimp
small giant
great fail
pretty ugly
military intelligance
Deafening silence
A huge nothing
Judges are supposed to have unbiased opinions.
bright night
Canadian army
democratic southerners
Larger half
clearly confused
horrifically amazing
pretty awful
awfully wonderful
huge step
Wiki User
∙ 6y agoOxymorons may appear in some common proverbs. An example would be "act natural".
One good oxymoron is jumbo shrimp. Other examples are painfully nice and business casual.
Some examples for oxymorons could be the little giants, pretty ugly, In a sentence, you could say that she was 'a little big'.
jumbo shrimpicy hotsmall giantclever stupidityorganized messrigid flexibilitybitter sweetnessconstant changedull shine
To provide useful comparison's and images to the reader.
Oxymorons may appear in some common proverbs. An example would be "act natural".
no
GIVE ME AN ANSWER I DON"T KNOW
At last the Dodo said, `Everybody has won, and all must have prizes.'
One good oxymoron is jumbo shrimp. Other examples are painfully nice and business casual.
Some examples for oxymorons could be the little giants, pretty ugly, In a sentence, you could say that she was 'a little big'.
some oxymorons are small crowd, pretty ugly, freezer burn, and jumbo shrimp.
Biblical Fact
xerox aqua
silent scream, cruel kindness, deafening silence, ice burn, painful pleasure
Jumbo shrimpMilitary IntelligenceCompetent governmentgood copalmost exactlygood griefsanitary landfillsmall crowdclearly misunderstood