What Is An Oxymoron? Definition & Examples Of This Writing Technique

Oxymoron is a word that describes an expression of two contradictory thoughts, words, or phrases.

There are many examples of oxymorons in the English language such as “jumbo shrimp,” “hot ice,” and “civil war.”

Oxymoron is a word that literally means “contradictory terms.” It’s the perfect example of how two words can be combined to form an entirely new meaning.

For example, oxymoron such as “true false”. The term was first coined by the Greeks and used in their literature.

Oxymorons can be used in many ways. They often show up as phrases or sayings, but they also appear in literature and other forms of art.

A popular example of an oxymoron would be “cruel kindness.” This phrase means someone was kind to you for the wrong reasons they were being cruel.

What Is An Oxymoron?

It turns out, there are many different kinds of oxymorons, and each one has its own meaning. Some examples include:

• A paradoxical statement (a contradiction).
• An expression or phrase used as a figure of speech that is self-contradictory or incongruous.

The word oxymoron is a combination of two words, “oxy” which means sharp or pointed, and “moron” which means foolish.

A few examples of oxymorons in sentences are as follows:

“To live and die at once”

“terribly good”

“sweet sorrow”

“honest politician”

   

“banker’s hours”

“time flies like an arrow”

“deliciously ugly”

“silently loud”

“senseless violence”

“rude awakening.”

First Known Use Of Oxymoron

In the 17th century, oxymoron was first coined to describe a paradox in which two contradictory terms are combined.

One of the earliest known examples is found in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, where he writes “O heavy lightness! serious vanity!”

The word oxymoron was first documented by English speakers in 1678 when John Ray published his book “A collection of English proverbs”.

The word “oxymoron” comes from the Greek roots oxys meaning sharp, keen, and moros meaning foolish. One of the first known use of this word was in 1508 by William Shakespeare to describe the mischievous character Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

What Is The Difference Between Oxymoron And Paradox?

The difference between an oxymoron and a paradox is that an oxymoron consists of two contradictory words, whereas with a paradox, the contradiction resides in the situation.

Paradoxes are often thought to be illogical because they provide evidence for something that goes against what we know about reality or common sense.

An example of this would be when you have hot ice cream.

An oxymoron is a combination of words that are contradictory. For example, living dead and cruel kindness.

A paradox is when two statements that seem to be true but turn out to be false. For example, the statement “I’m always telling the truth.”

Oxymoron, on the other hand, is defined as two contradictory words used together for emphasis such as “cruel kindness”.