oxymoron

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

NOUN

figure of speech

Synonyms

WEAK

adumbration allegory alliteration allusion analogue analogy anaphora anticlimax antistrophe antithesis aposiopesis apostrophe asyndeton bathos comparison conceit device echoism ellipsis euphemism euphuism exaggeration expression flourish flower hyperbole image imagery irony litotes malapropism manner of speaking metaphor metonymy onomatopoeia ornament parable paradox parallel personification proteron rhetoric sarcasm satire simile stylistic device synecdoche trope tropology turn of phrase understatement way of speaking

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Starting a business in retirement may sound like an oxymoron, but the idea has quite a few virtues.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

“Foreseeable future” is an oxymoron right up there with “jumbo shrimp.”

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

However, over the decades, you learn work/life balance is an oxymoron and characteristics such as integrity and loyalty are often valued but rarely useful on a spreadsheet.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 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

I thought that was maybe what my English teacher would call an oxymoron, because you cannot truly have freedom if someone is chasing you.

From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin

Vocabulary lists containing oxymoron

Literary Devices & Figures of Speech - Introductory

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Poetry: Literary Devices

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AP English Lit exam terms

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