Like a paradox, an oxymoron is whats known as a contradiction in terms, although oxymorons and paradoxes are two different things, as explained below. Similarly, "choice" implies more than one option, which is contradicted by "only," which implies the opposite. If something is original,then it is not a copy. Crustacean. oxymoron, a word or group of words that is self-contradicting, as in bittersweet or plastic glass. "A lot of people never use their initiative because no-one told them to.". What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? This is a pairing of opposing words that contradict each other. However, the terms are also complementary as a pair. Oxymorons are similar to such other devices as paradox and antithesis and are often used in poetry and other literature. There are plenty more to be discovered! As rhetorical devices, oxymorons have been used in many different mediums from political speeches to novels to stage plays. An oxymoron is a figure of speech that is made up of two or more words that seem to be the opposite of each other or truly are opposite of each other. The reader must momentarily pause to comprehend and process the meaningin other words, oxymorons make the reader think. It might sound like a schoolyard insult, but it's not. Oxymoron. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oxymoron. Salinger uses an oxymoron in this quote by Holden Caulfield, the narrator of the novel. June 3, 2022 . We recommend our users to update the browser. Oxymorons present an ideal opportunity to be clever or funny. "[21], Examples popularized by comedian George Carlin in 1975 include "military intelligence" (a play on the lexical meanings of the term "intelligence", implying that "military" inherently excludes the presence of "intelligence") and "business ethics" (similarly implying that the mutual exclusion of the two terms is evident or commonly understood rather than the partisan anti-corporate position). We have no choice., Mark Twain: It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech., Samuel Goldwyn: A verbal contract isnt worth the paper its written on.. 1, 'Cattywampus' and Other Funny-Sounding Words. (see what we did there? One classic example of the use of oxymorons in English literature can be found in this example from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, where Romeo strings together thirteen in a row: O brawling love! . They also occasionally work well with figurative language to compound the power behind certain words. If you're calling someone a "shrimp" meaning small or little, and then adding the adjective "jumbo," THEN it's an oxymoron. Hopefully, this list of oxymora has helped you understand how this figure of speech is supposed to be used. Oxymorons are a favorite literary device of poets, particularly when they express complex feelings such as love and desire. Often, you come across words that are paired together, but maybe completely contradictory in meaning. Here are some of the more famous oxymoron examples from historical literature: With loads of learned lumber in his head . Despite what it might sound like, noan oxymoron isnt something you can call your little brother when hes bugging you. josh brener commercial. As a literary device, it is used to make certain word combinations more thought-provoking to stand out. (2021, February 16). But once you become fluent in English, it's easy to recognize such oxymorons for the figures of speech that they are. More than a few have even become commonplace expressions in modern-day English, such as these oxymoron examples: As with other literary devices like metaphor, onomatopoeia, and hyperbole, oxymorons have a few different purposes in writing, all of which are quite useful in the right situation: As a contradiction of terms, an oxymoron both stands out and also elicits critical thinking. An oxymoron is a figure of speech, usually one or two words, in which seemingly contradictory terms appear side by side. The word oxymoron is itself an oxymoron; in Greek, oxy- means "sharp" or "wise," while moros means "foolish." Is an oxymoron always 2 words? Instead, meaning should be derived from the context in which an oxymoron is used. 2020, Preposterous suggests the idea of conflict in its meaning: contrary to nature, reason, or common sense, as in a preposterous notion.. This phrase qualifies as an oxymoron because the words "same" and "difference" have opposite meanings. Our vetted tutor database includes a range of experienced educators who can help you polish an essay for English or explain how derivatives work for Calculus. Writers and poets have used it for centuries as a literary device to describe life's inherent conflicts and incongruities. Your writing, at its best That noun combines sophos, the Greek adjective meaning wise, with its intellectual opposite mros, meaning foolish.. Post author By ; Post date regina's restaurant menu; california home care aide registry . As a literary device, oxymoron has the effect of creating an impression, enhancing a concept, and even entertaining the reader. In cuisine, it describes things like dark chocolate, which is thought of as sweet but in reality contains little sugar, so has a sharper taste than regular chocolate. An oxymoron is usually just two words (sometimes one, as in bittersweet), but a paradox is an entire statement, usually a standalone sentence or even a full, What is the difference between oxymoron and paradox?, A Guide to Using Plain Language in Writing. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. An oxymoron can seem absurd yet make perfect sense at the same time. Oxymoron definition, a figure of speech by which a locution produces an incongruous, seemingly self-contradictory effect, as in "cruel kindness" or "to make haste slowly." See more. There are some well-known phrases and quotations that make use of oxymorons. ThoughtCo, Feb. 16, 2021, thoughtco.com/awfully-good-examples-of-oxymorons-1691814. He gave me a. As with other rhetorical devices, oxymorons are used for a variety of purposes. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), Palindrome Examples: Words and Phrases That Are the Same Backwards and Forwards, The Most Confusing Rules in the Grammar World, Pangram Examples Every Word Lover Will Appreciate, Stock Your Spring Closet with 12 Dresses Under $100, More Than 300 Words Were Just Added to Dictionary.com, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, The Sound of Silence: Song by Simon & Garfunkel, All your perfect imperfections: John Legend in his song All of Me, Clara Barton: I distinctly remember forgetting that., Isaac Bashevis Singer: We must believe in free will. However, a bone may seem juicy to a dog that is salivating at the thought of chewing it. By that measure, no crisis is unimportant or minor. "conventionally unconventional", "tortuous spontaneity" (Henry James)[17] document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Our site includes quite a bit of content, so if you're having an issue finding what you're looking for, go on ahead and use that search feature there! For example, "virtual reality" consists of contradictory terms that form a new meaning. They also occasionally work well with. Generally, an oxymoron phrase is a . Consider the common oxymorons and think about times they may have been included in conversations you have had. All babies can be childish but, for some reason, adding the word 'big' communicates that the person you are talking about is even more childish than a regular-sized . Such a phrase shows that an object can have two different qualities at once, making it a subject for study and analysis. Our word piano, referring to the instrument, is short for pianoforte; the full Italian name of the instrument is gravicembalo col piano e forteliterally, harpsichord with soft and loud, due to the fact that its tones could be varied in loudness. Quotes tagged as "oxymoron" Showing 1-30 of 30. Feeling 'bumfuzzled' or have the 'collywobbles'? The audience was a failure. Smiles are rarely associated with pain. Well also provide you with an extensive list of oxymoronsso you can get a better feel for what oxymorons look and sound like. The N Word is a figure of speech - a racist and hateful figure of speech. Oxymorons tend to have deeper meanings and be more memorable than noncontradictory words, so they work great at key points in your writing for boosting reader engagement. There is, we regret to inform you, no commonly used verb form of the word. Old news is an everyday example of an oxymoron, as news is meant to be current. PDF. According to Wills, Buckley has "poisoned the general currency" of the word oxymoron by using it as just a "fancier word for 'contradiction'", when he said that "an intelligent liberal is an oxymoron". Not monosyllabic or one word, but I came upon an "oxymoron that isn't" in a book I am reading, The Pale King, David Foster Wallace (posthumous): "spectacularly dull."It turns out this phrase is pretty common. The common oxymoron phrase is a combination of an adjective followed by a noun with contrasting meanings. ), so this article explains everything you need to know. Dr. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks. What Is an Oxymoron? Katie McCabe, TimeOut London, 20 Apr. This oxymoron is symbolic of the human condition as reflected in the poets mention of our human lot. In addition, this oxymoron supports and complements the balance of oppositions featured in the rest of the poems structure, such as good and bad, without or with, and friends or foes. "delighted sorrow", "loyal treachery", "scalding coolness" (Hemingway).[18]. Like. The plural of "oxymoron" is "oxymorons" or "oxymora," but "oxymorons" is far more popular [ evidence ]. One of the most famous examples of a paradox is thesentence, "This statement is false." Thus, as the oxymoron suggests, this scene ishappy since Juliet and Romeo are in love, yet it's also sad because they must say goodbyeand cannot stay together through the night. https://www.thoughtco.com/awfully-good-examples-of-oxymorons-1691814 (accessed March 4, 2023). Big baby. An example of such a "comical oxymoron" is "educational television": the humour derives entirely from the claim that it is an oxymoron by the implication that "television" is so trivial as to be inherently incompatible with "education". A Comprehensive Guide. Review the example sentences below to get a better sense of how oxymorons can be used in sentences and dialogue. Now that weve gone over what an oxymoron is, lets take a closer look at four famous oxymoron examples in sentences to better understand how this literary device actually works. Oxymoron is also a literary device, but is considered a condensed paradox. Oxymorons are not meant to be taken literally. Too many uses of oxymoron can be either distracting or tedious for the reader. Oftentimes a phrase cited as an example of an oxymoron is really just a play on words. As a literary device, oxymoron has the effect of creating an impression, enhancing a concept, and even entertaining the reader. Here are some of our favorite oxymoron examples. Authors and musicians often use oxymorons as a rhetorical device. William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, A damned saint, an honorable villain! (Hence you might buy vintage clothing for cheap at a thrift store.) Sign up to receive the latest and greatest articles from our site automatically each week (give or take)right to your inbox. 6789 Quail Hill Pkwy, Suite 211 Irvine CA 92603. Oxymoron is a figure of speech pairing two words together that are opposing and/or contradictory. (Old news, anyone?) However, you may come across many such examples that need verbal interpretations and deep understanding. hbspt.cta.load(360031, '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05', {}); Have any questions about this article or other topics? Learn more. You might say that they juxtapose each other, which means, when placed close together, they create an. ., And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true., The main difference between an oxymoron and a paradox is that, . These figures of speech can enhance a readers understanding of a concept, interpretation of a phrase, or enjoyment of language. They are known as oxymora, and in this article, you will find an oxymoron list, which will give you some really good and yet, funny oxymora so that you can understand the concept better. The humour derives from implying that an assumption (which might otherwise be expected to be controversial or at least non-evident) is so obvious as to be part of the lexicon. To save this word, you'll need to log in. An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two seemingly contradictory or opposite ideas to create a certain rhetorical or poetic effect and reveal a deeper truth. Oxymoron can enhance drama in writing. the word nascar is an oxymoron. the word nascar is an oxymoron the word nascar is an oxymoron. On its own silence is fairly neutralit can be calm or tense, depending on the context. You have been successfully subscribed to the Grammarly blog. These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'oxymoron.' Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. Don't be surprised if none of them want the spotl One goose, two geese. O loving hate! Oxymoronically is the adverbial form of the word. This combination of contrary or antithetical words is also known in conversation as a contradiction in terms. An oxymoron is a term in which two contradictory terms are combined. As the example's author, Richard Watson Todd, said, "The true beauty of oxymorons is that, unless we sit back and really think, we happily accept them as normalEnglish. Bittersweet When we think of oxymorons, we often think of two-word phrases with seemingly opposite components, like "alone together" or "sweet sorrow." However, others can be intentional: For instance, in the phrase deafening silence, the seeming contradiction only serves to emphasize the intensity of the silence.

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