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What is an oxymoron?
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Quick Answer
An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two contradictory words for effect, such as 'deafening silence' or 'bittersweet'.
The Full Story
An oxymoron places opposite ideas side by side to create surprise, emphasis or a deeper meaning. Classic examples include 'jumbo shrimp', 'open secret', 'living dead' and 'act naturally'. Writers use oxymorons to express complicated feelings; Shakespeare's Romeo speaks of 'loving hate' and 'cold fire'. The word is itself an oxymoron, coming from the Greek 'oxys', meaning sharp, and 'moros', meaning dull or foolish. Oxymorons differ from paradoxes, which are whole statements that seem self-contradictory.
Key Facts
1.The word comes from Greek for 'sharp' and 'dull'
2.'Bittersweet' is a one-word oxymoron
3.Shakespeare used oxymorons heavily in Romeo and Juliet
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"Phrases that contradict themselves, on purpose"