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oxymoron

Noun · plural: oxymorons or oxymora

An expression that puts seemingly contradictory ideas together.

Meaning, in detail

An oxymoron brings apparently contradictory words together in a compact expression. The contrast can make a description more vivid, surprising or precise than an ordinary adjective would.

The expression is not automatically a mistake. A writer may use it deliberately to suggest a feeling with two competing aspects, such as pleasure mixed with pain or silence that seems overwhelmingly noticeable.

Pronunciation

ok-see-MOR-on

IPA transcription or a simplified reading guide. Pronunciation can vary with accent.

Where does it come from?

Its Greek roots combine an idea of sharpness with one of dullness or foolishness. The name itself contains a striking contrast.

Use it in a sentence

The announcement was followed by a deafening silence.
She described their farewell as a bittersweet victory.
Original examples written for Puzzoria.

Did you know?

Oxymoron is sometimes used loosely for any contradiction, but its rhetorical meaning is narrower: the opposing ideas meet within the same expression.

Keep exploring

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