oxymoron

American  

[ok-si-mawr-on, -mohr-] / ˌɒk sɪˈmɔr ɒn, -ˈmoʊr- /

noun

Rhetoric.

plural

oxymora, oxymorons

1. a figure of speech by which a locution produces an incongruous, seemingly self-contradictory effect, as in “cruel kindness” or “to make haste slowly.”

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oxymoron British  

/ ˌɒksɪˈmɔːrɒn /

noun

1. rhetoric an epigrammatic effect, by which contradictory terms are used in conjunction

   living death

   fiend angelical

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oxymoron Cultural  

1. A rhetorical device in which two seemingly contradictory words are used together for effect: “She is just a poor little rich girl.”

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Other Word Forms

• oxymoronic adjective

Etymology

Origin of oxymoron

First recorded in 1650–60; from Late Latin oxymorum, from presumed Greek oxýmōron (unrecorded), neuter of oxýmōros (unrecorded) “sharp-dull,” equivalent to oxý(s) “sharp” ( oxy- ¹ ) + mōrós “dull” ( moron )

Explanation

Jumbo shrimp? Open secret? Use oxymoron to refer to a word or phrase that contradicts itself, usually to create some rhetorical effect. When Shakespeare's Juliet says, "Parting is such sweet sorrow," she is using an oxymoron; her apparently self-contradictory turn of phrase actually makes a neat kind of sense. Oxymoron is sometimes used to describe a word combination that strikes the listener as humorously contradictory, even if the speaker didn't intend it that way. The word oxymoron is itself an oxymoron; in Greek, oxy- means "sharp" or "wise," while moros means "foolish."

Example Sentences

Ranting about the decline of comedy specials while releasing a new one at the same time feels a bit like an oxymoron.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

That sounds like an oxymoron: We don’t tend to expect illness or old age to create a problem in our life when we are young, but preparing for such eventualities is important.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 9, 2025

But as David Nasaw’s “The Wounded Generation” makes emphatically clear, a good war is an oxymoron.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

Until now, such a concept would have been an oxymoron, a historical phenomenon without precedent.

From Salon • May 22, 2024

That’s an oxymoron if Scoob’s ever heard one.

From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone