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.

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

He was, if we may use an oxymoron, a libertarian builder.

From The Wall Street Journal

Wintertime salads may be an oxymoron for some, but to me, they’re a necessity.

From Salon

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

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

From The Wall Street Journal

oxymoron

Example Sentences

Related Words