Language
What is An oxymoron?
An oxymoron is a figure of speech that puts two contradictory words together for effect, like 'deafening silence' or 'bittersweet'. The clash of opposites creates a striking or thought-provoking meaning.
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Watch a 2-minute lesson with voice + animation that explains an oxymoron.
Key things to understand
- 1It combines two opposite or contradictory words in one phrase.
- 2Examples: 'jumbo shrimp', 'living dead', 'organized chaos', 'open secret'.
- 3The contradiction is deliberate, creating emphasis, irony, or a fresh idea.
- 4It's a compact way to capture something genuinely paradoxical.
- 5It's different from a paradox, which is a longer contradictory statement.
Frequently asked questions
- What's an example of an oxymoron?
- 'Deafening silence', 'bittersweet', 'awfully good', and 'clearly confused' each pair two contradictory words for effect.
- What's the difference between an oxymoron and a paradox?
- An oxymoron is a two-word contradiction ('living dead'); a paradox is a longer statement that seems self-contradictory but may reveal a truth ('less is more').
- Why do writers use oxymorons?
- To grab attention, add irony or humor, or capture a complex, contradictory feeling in just a couple of words.