", Explanations and citation info for 35,470 quotes across 1699 books, Downloadable (PDF) line-by-line translations of every Shakespeare play. The couple's relationship becomes a bright spot for both of them in the midst of war, but ultimately also a source of pain and confusion for Jordan, as he struggles to balance his obligation to fight with his desire to live happily by Maria's side. Who are you? Reading these words together will often cause a reader to pause and think about what the writer is trying to convey. a deafening silence. Learn English A common oxymoron example is "bittersweet"the two root words, bitter and sweet, are inherently contradictory. As a literary device, oxymoron has the effect of creating an impression, enhancing a concept, and even entertaining the reader. Definitions Definitions of each word are generating using the Pearson's developer API. As with other rhetorical devices, oxymorons are used for a variety of purposes. 309 likes. You might say "deafening silence" or "oddly normal" or "jumbo shrimp" are oxymorons, because they appear to be contradictory but in fact they make an intriguing kind of s. The word "oxymoron" is itself an oxymoron. Not all the devices it lists are poetic, but nearly all of them are relevant to poetry in some way. The meaning of OXYMORON is a combination of contradictory or incongruous words (such as cruel kindness); broadly : something (such as a concept) that is made up of contradictory or incongruous elements. Smiles are rarely associated with pain. The use of oxymorathe plural of oxymoronin our day-to-day conversation is not rare. A good example of an oxymoron is the sound of silence. Some Oxymorons are not obvious, some may require an understanding of verbal or regional interpretations, and some may even indicate certain prejudices. Bringing them together into one phrase can produce a verbally puzzling, yet engaging, effect. ra (-mr) A rhetorical figure in which incongruous or contradictory terms are combined, as in a deafening silence and a mournful optimist. Romeo and Juliet is William Shakespeare's tragic drama that tells the tale of the two star-crossed lovers named in the play's title. The beauty of an oxymoron is that it deliberately combines two words or ideas that contradict one another, not simply to point out how those ideas don't fit, but for the purpose of showing that a contradiction actually does make sense or reveal a deeper meaning. Heres a quick and simple definition: An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a pointparticularly to reveal a deeper or hidden truth. Oxymorons are extremely useful in written English because they can make effective titles, add dramatic effect, add flavor to speech, and can sometimes be used to achieve a comedic effect. There are oxymorons throughout the alphabet, from "a" to "z." Word lists are in the order of the most common words and most searched. Richard Nordquist a list of oxymorons and the role of this literary device in everyday life. marekuliasz / iStock / Getty Images Plus. The distinction between the two is clear (now). Listening Yes! Theme music by Joshua Stamper 2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP. Any Word finder ideas you want? Around the fire at the club, May they inspire you through all your writing adventures. An oxymoron is a figure of speech where two words of opposite meaning are used together. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia, M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester, B.A., English, State University of New York. In this poem, Auden utilizes the oxymoron juicy bone. Of course, a bone is generally considered dry and the opposite of juicy. Some typical oxymorons are: In the standard meaning of oxymoron the contradiction is deliberate. However, in popular usage oxymoron is sometimes used to mean "contradiction in terms", where the contradiction is unintentional. There are quite a few in just the first three letters. https://www.thoughtco.com/awfully-good-examples-of-oxymorons-1691814 (accessed March 1, 2023). Also, mastering the oxymoron is an elegant way to weave clever wordplay into your creative writing.. An oxymoron can be a word or phrase in one of these formats: . Here are some examples of oxymoron phrases in well-known literary works, along with how they add to interpretation: Good night, good night! Interested in readability? The fascinating story behind many people's favori Can you handle the (barometric) pressure? Nordquist, Richard. /. Determining Word Rank The word rank metric is a measure of word frequency, with frequent words corresponding to higher ranks. Similarly, "choice" implies more than one option, which is contradicted by "only," which implies the opposite. Oxymoron Example 2. For example, oxymoron phrases such as marital bliss, military intelligence,andbusiness ethics,depending on how they are used as figures of speech, can be effective literary devices to indicate irony. Oxymoron enhances a reader's understanding of concepts, ideas, phrases, etc. On top of establishing the witches' cruelty, the line is also a signal to the audience to be on guard throughout the playa warning that characters who seem fair may be foul, and vice versa. "a long brief" or "hot ice". For example, someone might (wrongly) call the phrase "business ethics" an oxymoron, simply to make the claim that business is always unethical. As a literary device, oxymoron has the effect of creating an impression, enhancing a concept, and even entertaining the reader. Answer (1 of 8): You don't call someone an oxymoron; it's not a personal characteristic; it's a figure of speech (or writing). An oxymoron is a figure of speech made up of words with very different meanings. Grammar Quizzes A true oxymoron must be deliberately crafted in advance, with the goal of creating a rhetorical effect or revealing a deeper figurative meaning. Some of the greatest truths lie in contradiction, and oxymoron is one of the best figures of speech for expressing contradiction. Audience Familarity refers to the ability of the audience to recognize and understand a word. This contradiction creates a paradoxical image in the reader or listener's mind that generates a new concept or meaning for the whole. In each example, the oxymoron is underlined. Too many uses of oxymoron can be either distracting or tedious for the reader. With good, and bad, and worse, alike prolific, Too much of one sort would be soporific;. My play was a complete success. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Here's one more example from Romeo and Juliet. You'll find common figures of speech, plus references to works of classic and pop culture. FAQs on Oxymoron. Monty Oxymoron of The Damned performs supporting Hollywood Vampires at Manchester Arena on June 17, 2018 in Manchester, England. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Struggling with distance learning? Prepositions of Time at in on Shakespeare has purposefully created this contradiction to capture the deeper truth of the simultaneous pain and joy of departing from a loved onehe's trying to communicate that being separated from your beloved is painful and yet, precisely because it's painful, parting reminds you of your love and joy. Late Greek oxymron, from neuter of oxymros pointedly foolish, from Greek oxys sharp, keen + mros foolish. The phrase "cruel kindness" is an oxymoron. [Greek (attested only in Latin sources) oxumron, an expression that is witty because paradoxical, from neuter of *oxumros, pointedly foolish : Greek oxus, sharp . Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about oxymoron. "Poverty is a luxury I can't afford now" is handwritten on a decrepit residential wall. You Go Words Legal Disclaimer: Words, content, and information is for educational entertainment purposes only. These lines from Chapter 7 of For Whom the Bell Tolls describe an encounter between Robert Jordan, a young American soldier fighting in the Spanish Civil War, and his lover Mara. This love feel I, that feel no love in this. "i find nothing more depressing than optimism.". Thus the word oxymoron is itself an oxymoron. Single-Word and Compound Word: Bittersweet, frenemy (friend+enemy), love-hate.Adjective + Noun: Sweet sorrow (made famous by William . Oxymoron is a figure of speech pairing two words together that are opposing and/or contradictory. An oxymoronis a figure of speech, usually one or two words, in which seemingly contradictory terms appear side by side. Oxymorons aren't limited to the first few letters of the alphabet. It's likely you've used, or at least heard, a few oxymorons in your everyday life, even if you didn't realize it at the time. Oxymorons are often used to add comedy and display wit. For some of these examples, the oxymorons are linked to two phrases within the sentence rather than a single phrase. When we learn about oxymorons, bittersweet is often one of the first words given as an example. Without, or with, offence to friends or foes. Effective use of juxtaposition can change the tone of an entire poem. An Oxymoron is a combination of contradictory or incongruous words, such as 'Cruel Kindness' or 'Jumbo Shrimp' 'Hiemal,' 'brumation,' & other rare wintry words. Both the concept of honor and dishonor and the phrase "falsely true" are examples of oxymoron. Be sure to consider context, and connotation in addition to readability when choosing an alternatitive word. Their dramatic effect is much more powerful with sparing use. In this poem about the love between Lancelot and Guinevere, Tennyson uses oxymoron in this line: "His honor rooted in dishonor stood, And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true.". They can be spaced out, as in, "His honor rooted in dishonor stood," which is a line from Tennyson's "Lancelot and Elaine. We found a total of 35 words by unscrambling the letters in oxymoron. An oxymoron is a figure of speech words that seem to cancel each other out, like "working vacation" or "instant classic." A paradox makes your brain hurt because it seems like something is true and false at . An Oxymoron is two words, or a compound word, with contradictory definitions. We're working on expanding this feature. These word pairings are not inherently opposite, but their individual concepts can seem contradictory when combined. In perhaps the most well-known oxymoron in literature, Juliet describes her feelings about Romeo leaving her presence as sweet sorrow. Shakespeares use of oxymoron indicates that Juliets sorrow and sadness at the thought that Romeo must part from her is also sweet and pleasant. Use of any trademarks on You Go Words is for informational purposes only and citing sources of information where appropriate. The common vernacular use of oxymoron as simply a contradiction in terms . Allow word find such as "words which contain the consonants N, T, and R". oxymoron. Like. Nabokov's novel Ada tells the story of Van and Ada, a sister and brother who meet as teenagers and fall in love, believing that they are cousins. The phrase terrific liar pairs two words that have opposing connotations. Thus, an oxymoron might be a configuration of words that expresses a paradox, but the oxymoron is not, itself, the paradox. This example is similar to the lines above from Romeo and Juliet, in that both use the contradictory terms of an oxymoron to reflect the characters' experience of thwarted love. tags: independent-thought , initiative , oxymoron , paradox. Oxymorons are often used to add some zest to speeches and you will often find a well worded oxymoron used in many speeches of world leaders. The word oxymoron is an oxymoron; 'oxy' comes from the Greek word that means 'sharp', while 'moron' comes from the Greek word that means 'dull'. This device is often used for emphasis, for humor, to create tension, or to illustrate a paradox (see next entry for more information on paradoxes). These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'oxymoron.' A paradox is a rhetorical device or a self-contradictory statement that can actually be true. One moose, two moose. Worksheet. The antithesis uses a contradictory idea within a balanced sentence structure. Oxymoron was his first album released under a major record label to music retailers, whereas his previous albums were released independently to digital retailers only.. To please a companion. intense apathy. Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox! Here are some well-known and recognizable examples of this figure of speech: People are often confused by the difference between oxymoron and paradox. The English word oxymoron comes from the Greek words "oxy," meaning sharp or keen, and "moros," meaning foolish. While we are loath to place restrictions on language use, oxymoron usually refers to a set of contradictory words (such as bittersweet) rather than to a contradictory person. While the words involved in oxymorons seem like they don't belong together (until you give them deeper thought), the words or ideas of antithesis do feel like they belong together even as they contrast . Main Page | Publishing Principles | Prefix & Suffix Chart | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Service | About Me | Contact. Oxymoron. Such expressions, unlike real oxymorons, are commonly used without any sense of paradox in everyday language, for example: A common attempt at humour is to describe a certain phrase as an oxymoron, implying that the two parts of the phrase are mutually exclusive and that consequently the phrase as a whole must be nonsensical: The popular term "virtual reality" might be considered an oxymoron or pseudo-oxymoron by some but in fact it is a tautology (i.e. What distinguishes oxymorons from other paradoxes and contradictions is that they are used intentionally, for rhetorical effect, and the contradiction is only apparent, as the combination of terms provides a novel expression of some concept, such as the aforementioned "a long brief" or "hot ice". (Jumbo means 'large' while Shrimp means 'small'). This allows us to group slight variations of the same word. An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a pointparticularly to reveal a deeper or hidden truth. An oxymoron term is a literary figure of speech in which opposite or contradictory words, phrases, terms or ideas in rhetoric, "a figure conjoining words or terms apparently contradictory so as to give point to the statement or expression," 1650s, from Greek oxymron, noun use of neuter of oxymros (adj.) The combination of these contradicting elements serves to reveal a paradox, confuse, or give the reader a laugh. Oxus, which is the first instance of oxy, is of Greek origin and means sharp, while moros, standing for . Paul Simon wrote the song The Sounds of Silence about the difficulty people have in communicating with one another, but the lyrics were later interpreted as a reference to the Vietnam War (a war that many would say was full of contradictions): Hello darkness, my old friend I've come to talk with you again Because a vision softly creeping Left its seeds while I was sleeping And the vision that was planted in my brain Still remains Within the sound of silence. Review the example sentences below to get a better sense of how oxymorons can be used in sentences and dialogue. "The Sound of Silence": Song by Simon . Yes. Simile. For some real-world examples of oxymorons in writing, review a few lines from literature and songs. Analyzes words to predict audience familiarity and provide insights as to how the use of the word may affect readability metrics. It's really interesting to see how this figure of speech finds its way into everyday communication. A crisis is defined as a time of serious difficulty or importance. An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear in conjunction. An oxymoron uses two contrasting words, but they . This combination of contrary or antithetical words is also known in conversation as a contradiction in terms. ). An oxymoron term is a literary figure of speech in which opposite or contradictory words, phrases, terms or ideas are combined to create a rhetorical effect by paradoxical means. An oxymoron is a combination of two words that, together, express a contradictory meaning. SCRABBLE is a registered trademark. Shakespeare was a master of using oxymoron in his plays and poems. Now you can see that oxymorons add humor or drama to speech or writing, allowing you to make a funny or pointed remark. We see that two things that shouldn't exist together do, in fact . Night of the Living Dead: 1968 film. This means that oxymoron is a figure of speech that includes just a couple of contradictory words that are paired together rather than a full statement of ideas. One of the best known examples of oxymoron is 'jumbo shrimp.' How can something be both 'jumbo' (huge) and 'shrimp' (which means small)? Oxymoron definition: If you describe a phrase as an oxymoron , you mean that what it refers to combines two. One example of a skillful oxymoron isreal fake. Jul 17, 2017 at 13:23. For example, if a character is described as a man child, this oxymoron calls up a humorous image of a child that looks like a man or vice-versa. Oxymoronic is the adjectival form of oxymoron. Real fake is a combination of contradictory terms. Like a paradox, an oxymoron is what's known as a "contradiction in terms," although oxymorons and paradoxes are two different things, as explained below. Be either distracting or tedious for the reader a laugh that shouldn & # x27 ; T exist do. 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Principles | Prefix & Suffix Chart | Privacy |! Words, content, and even entertaining the reader a laugh oxymoron uses contrasting. Auden utilizes the oxymoron juicy bone than optimism. & quot ; falsely true & quot the! The best figures of speech, usually one or two words together are. Generating using the Pearson 's developer API to get a better sense how! Oxymoron the contradiction is unintentional `` only, '' which implies the opposite line-by-line. See how oxymoron finder figure of speech where two words of opposite meaning are for... And oxymoron is a rhetorical device or a self-contradictory statement that can actually be true sharp, while moros standing... Device or a Compound word: Bittersweet, frenemy ( friend+enemy ), love-hate.Adjective Noun. Is also sweet and pleasant the distinction between the two is clear ( now ) Jumbo! Alphabet, from `` a '' to `` z. tedious for the reader Juliets sorrow sadness! 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