Figures of Speech – Oxymoron

In this post, you are going to get complete information bout Oxymoron Figure of Speech with lots of examples.

Figures of Speech – Oxymoron Examples

Giant Jumbo Shrimp Depicting Literary Term Oxymoron
Giant Jumbo Shrimp Depicting Literary Term Oxymoron

What is Oxymoron?

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines incongruous or contradictory terms. The plural is oxymorons or oxymora. When points put across contradict with each other, they are called Oxymoron. Oxymorons create a good drama for the reader. The reader become more interesting when he cncounters Oxymoron in the stories.

For example “The Same Difference” is an oxymoron. Same as well as different. Dont you think these terms are opposing each other. When this kind of phrases are included it the stories or texts, they are quite puzzling however they increase the engagement of the reader. So, they prouce a great effect in the reading. Also, the reader stops and thinks about the meaning.

Oxymoron Examples:

An oximoron can be made of an adjective and a noun. We keep hearing lots of oxymorons in our daily. May be we do not realize that they are oxromorns.  A list of cooomon oxymorons is given below:

  1. Dark light
  2. Deafening silence
  3. Living dead
  4. Open secret
  5. Virtual reality
  6. Act naturally
  7. Alone together
  8. Amazingly awful
  9. Bittersweet
  10. Clearly confused
  11. Dark light
  12. Deafening silence
  13. Definitely maybe
  14. Farewell reception
  15. Growing smaller
  16. Jumbo shrimp
  17. Only choice
  18. Open secret
  19. Original copy
  20. Painfully beautiful
  21. Passive aggressive
  22. Random order
  23. Small crowd
  24. Sweet sorrow
  25. True myth
  26. Walking dead
  27. Weirdly normal

Oxymorons can also be a combination of a noun and a verb.

  • The silence whistles
36 Figures of Speech Types Simile Metaphor Etc With Examples
36 Figures of Speech Types Simile Metaphor Etc With Examples

You can also encounter lots of oxymorons in normal quotes and sayings. 

Below are some very popular sayings and quotes that have Oxymorons in them. By reading these you can understand the impact of oxymorons in the sentences. 

  1. “I like a smuggler. He is the only honest thief.” – Charles Lamb
  2. “I can believe anything, provided that it is quite incredible.” – Oscar Wilde
  3. “And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true.” – Alfred Tennyson
  4. “Modern dancing is so old fashioned.” – Samuel Goldwyn
  5. “A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.” – Henry Ford
  6. “I am a deeply superficial person.” – Andy Warhol
  7. “We’re busy doing nothing.” – Bing Crosby
  8. “No one goes to that restaurant anymore. It’s always too crowded.” – Yogi Berra
  9. “A joke is an extremely serious issue.” – Winston Churchill
  10. “I like humanity, but I loathe persons.” – Edna St. Vincent Millay
  11. “I generally advise persons never ever to present assistance.” – P.G. Wodehouse

List of Figures of Speech in the English Language – Literary Devices

Accumulation Climax Metalepsis
Adjunction Dysphemism Metaphor
Adnomination Ellipsis Metonymy
Alliteration Euphemism Simile
Allusion Epigram Synecdoche
Anaphora Epiphora (or epistrophe) Tautology
Antanaclasis Hyperbole Understatement
Anticlimax Hypophora Zeugma and syllepsis
Antiphrasis Irony Onomatopoeia
Antithesis Litotes
Apostrophe Oxymoron
Assonance Personification
Cataphora Puns
Chiasmus Merism

Oxymoron – Video Lesson by Tarun Gawer

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MS Dhoni’s IPL record Top 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India Virat Kohli to create special record on first ball of IPL 2024? Know details 5 high-fiber lunch ideas to keep you full Top 7 CNG cars under Rs 10 lakh to buy in India 5 homemade drinks to stay hydrated and nourished 7 Interesting Facts About Mia Khalifa IPL 2024: 8 Players set to play for the first time in tournament history IPL 2024 fixtures of Mumbai Indians Deepika to Katrina: 5 Bollywood brides who wore red at their wedding
MS Dhoni’s IPL record Top 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India Virat Kohli to create special record on first ball of IPL 2024? Know details 5 high-fiber lunch ideas to keep you full Top 7 CNG cars under Rs 10 lakh to buy in India 5 homemade drinks to stay hydrated and nourished 7 Interesting Facts About Mia Khalifa IPL 2024: 8 Players set to play for the first time in tournament history IPL 2024 fixtures of Mumbai Indians Deepika to Katrina: 5 Bollywood brides who wore red at their wedding