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What is an oxymoron?

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Quick answer

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that puts two contradictory words together for effect, like 'deafening silence' or 'bittersweet'. The clash of opposites creates a striking or thought-provoking meaning. It combines two opposite or contradictory words in one phrase.

Key things to understand

  1. It combines two opposite or contradictory words in one phrase.
  2. Examples: 'jumbo shrimp', 'living dead', 'organized chaos', 'open secret'.
  3. The contradiction is deliberate, creating emphasis, irony, or a fresh idea.
  4. It's a compact way to capture something genuinely paradoxical.
  5. It's different from a paradox, which is a longer contradictory statement.

People also ask

What's an example of an oxymoron?
'Deafening silence', 'bittersweet', 'awfully good', and 'clearly confused' each pair two contradictory words for effect.
What's the difference between an oxymoron and a paradox?
An oxymoron is a two-word contradiction ('living dead'); a paradox is a longer statement that seems self-contradictory but may reveal a truth ('less is more').
Why do writers use oxymorons?
To grab attention, add irony or humor, or capture a complex, contradictory feeling in just a couple of words.