What Is an Oxymoron? An oxymoron is a self-contradicting word or group of words (as in Shakespeares line from Romeo and Juliet, "Why, then, O brawling love! the word nascar is an oxymoron the word nascar is an oxymoron It starts with super, which it gets from supermarket. All rights reserved. Jack London, The Call of the Wild, All the pain he had endured was as nothing compared with the exquisite agony of this., The bookful blockhead, ignorantly read, Thus the word oxymoron is itself an oxymoron. 'Rowdy' Freevee Review: Stream It or Skip It? - decider.com Oxymoron - Wikipedia Feel free to look throughthis vast list of oxymoron examplesif youre in need of an oxymoron for something you're writing or if you simply want tolearn some of the most commonones. This excerpt from Irish poet William Butler Yeats famous poem "Easter 1916" has the prominent oxymoron "terrible beauty," which is repeated again at the end of the poem. Bittersweet is the word for a pleasant feeling that is nonetheless marked by sadness or regret, such as the feeling one might have upon graduating from school, where many friendships were made. Oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two normally contradictory terms think "deafening silence," "wise fool" or "cruel kindness.". Here are some well-known and recognizable examples of this figure of speech: People are often confused by the difference between oxymoron and paradox. 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.. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points, How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer, Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests. ThoughtCo, Feb. 16, 2021, thoughtco.com/awfully-good-examples-of-oxymorons-1691814. How to understand - and use - English oxymorons 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. Hopefully, this list of oxymora has helped you understand how this figure of speech is supposed to be used. What Is an Oxymoron? Definition and Examples | Grammarly Here are some examples of oxymoron that may be found in everyday expression: insertListLink('Huge List of Oxymoron Examples', 2, 2, 'shortexamples'). Grammarly helps you communicate confidently. An oxymoron is a figure of speech pairing two antithetical or contradictory concepts. Post author By ; Post date regina's restaurant menu; california home care aide registry . What is An Oxymoron? | The Word Counter Oxymorons present an ideal opportunity to be clever or funny. Delivered to your inbox! Oxymoronically is the adverbial form of the word. Who Are The Most Romantic Literary Figures of All Time? An oxymoron refers to a word, phrase, or use of language that seems to directly contradict itself, and it is. For example, "virtual reality" consists of contradictory terms that form a new meaning. But pairing it with, a very distinct meaning, comparing it to a loud noise that draws extra attention. the word nascar is an oxymoron - digitalidentityorganization.com Nordquist, Richard. An oxymoron is a conjoined pair of (seemingly) contradictory terms, e.g.deafening silence, pretty ugly, same difference, silent scream, or jumbo shrimp. Well provide oxymoron examples and provide guidance on how theyre used, but first, lets look at a more thorough oxymoron definition. With good, and bad, and worse, alike prolific, Too much of one sort would be soporific;. 2023 LoveToKnow Media. A paradox is a statement that technically contradicts itself but remains true nonetheless. Samuel Johnson defined it as, "a rhetorical figure in which an epithet of a quite contrary signification is added to any word or phrase creating a contradiction in terms.". The distinction between the two is clear (now). If you're referring to oxymoron in plural, both oxymorons and oxymora are correct. In some languages, it is not necessary to place a conjunction like and between the two antonyms; such compounds (not necessarily of antonyms) are known as dvandvas (a term taken from Sanskrit grammar). [1][2] A general meaning of "contradiction in terms" is recorded by the 1902 edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. This statement made by Holden reveals the level of complexity and impact an oxymoron can have as a literary device when it comes to interpretation. The word is derived from two ancient Greek words: oxys, which means "sharp," and moronos, which means "dull" or "stupid." hbspt.cta.load(360031, '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05', {}); Have any questions about this article or other topics? The Ancient Greeks came up with this term for a rhetorical device employing contradiction by combining the word for sharp, keen (oxys) with the aforementioned mros, meaning foolish.. ., And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true., The main difference between an oxymoron and a paradox is that, . Why do we use oxymorons? - Wylie Communications, Inc. One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More | Merriam-Webster Est. In a 2009 article called "Daredevil", Garry Wills accused William F. Buckley of popularising this trend, based on the success of the latter's claim that "an intelligent liberal is an oxymoron. Consider the oxymoron example deafening silence. Adding "jumbo" doesn't make the . I want to receive exclusive email updates from YourDictionary. Shellfish. Despite the similarities, however, oxymorons and paradoxes are two different types of literary devices, each with their own special usage. Despite what it might sound like, noan oxymoron isnt something you can call your little brother when hes bugging you. An oxymoron is a figure of speech where two terms seem contradictory. Oxymorons are an excellent, thought-provoking tool to use in writing, but they're certainly not the only device you should work with. You'll find common figures of speech, plus references to works of classic and pop culture. This combination of contrary or antithetical words is also known in conversation as a contradiction in terms. It comes from the Greek words osks, meaning sharp or keen, and mors meaning dull or foolish. By extension, oxymorons deal with the contrast between the meanings of words, but paradoxes focus on the contrast between complete ideas. That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but there are certainly more than just a few. A paradox is a statement or argument that seems to be contradictory or to go against common sense, but that is yet perhaps still truefor example, "less is more.". Is it starting to seem like there is an unlimited supply of oxymorons in the English language? Want to learn more about figures of speech, besides oxymorons and paradoxes? Here are some examples of oxymoron that may be found in everyday writing or conversation: Think you havent heard of any famous oxymorons? As a rhetorical device, an oxymoron illustrates a point to communicate and reveal a paradox. [22], Similarly, the term "civil war" is sometimes jokingly referred to as an "oxymoron" (punning on the lexical meanings of the word "civil"). If Holdens claim is that he is wonderful at being an untruthful person, then he casts doubt as to the truth of his own statement to the reader about being a terrific liar as well. In speech, oxymorons can lend a sense of humor, irony, or sarcasm. As with other rhetorical devices, oxymorons are used for a variety of purposes. For some of these examples, the oxymorons are linked to two phrases within the sentence rather than a single phrase. 2001 - 2023 Oxymoron.info - All rights reserved. However, an oxymoron, in its strict definition, requires that the two words be side by side, as in: "X was undergoing constant change." The phrase "The only constant is change." (the original Asimov quote), or the phrase "Change is the only constant," is best described as a simple paradox. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel. An oxymoron is a phrase made of two or more words that actually have opposite meanings. Huge List of Oxymorons. The phrasedaily night certainly features contrary wording. One of the most famous examples of a paradox is thesentence, "This statement is false." This website uses cookies to improve your experience. It is also comedic in terms of behavior, both in terms of a man acting like a child or a child behaving like a man.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'literarydevices_net-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_15',131,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-literarydevices_net-large-mobile-banner-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'literarydevices_net-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_16',131,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-literarydevices_net-large-mobile-banner-1-0_1');.large-mobile-banner-1-multi-131{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:15px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:15px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. "melancholy merriment" (Byron), Keep going to discover even more. There are quite a few in just the first three letters. Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox! Or plastic silverware. Common examples of oxymorons include cruel kindness, open secret, and jumbo shrimp . This famous quotation from Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet contains an equally famous oxymoron. This contradiction is also known as a paradox. For example, just pairing any two words that are contradictory wont make for an effective oxymoron. "A lot of people never use their initiative because no-one told them to.". hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(360031, '21006efe-96ea-47ea-9553-204221f7f333', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. All rights reserved. Need more help with this topic? It makes more sense when you read the thrift in spendthrift as a noun that can refer to the savings that one has accumulated through the careful management of money. 4 Answers. The Italian pianoforte or fortepiano is an example from a Western language; the term is short for gravicembalo col piano e forte, as it were "harpiscord with a range of different volumes", implying that it is possible to play both soft and loud (as well as intermediate) notes, not that the sound produced is somehow simultaneously "soft and loud". (see what we did there? We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. The inherent setup of contradictory words works great for jokes and other witty statements. Yes! Merriam-Webster defines an oxymoron as a rhetorical device in which a combination of contradictory or incongruous words is used in conjunction. Exactly! "faith unfaithful", "falsely true" (Tennyson),[16] Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone. An oxymoron is a figure of speech that places contradictory terms next to each other in a word or phrase. the word nascar is an oxymoron mars 15, 2021 by 0 Comments 0 View. the word nascar is an oxymoron - bd-hyd.com Oxymoron - The Complete Oxymoron List - Oxymoron.info We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.
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