Oxymoron

Common Examples of Oxymoron
Open secret
Tragic comedy
Seriously funny
Awfully pretty
Foolish wisdom
Original copies
Liquid gas
The above oxymoron examples produce a comical effect. Thus, it is a lot of fun to use them in your
everyday speech.
Short Examples of Oxymoron in Speech
There was a love-hate relationship between the two neighboring states.
The professor was giving a lecture on virtual reality.
Paid volunteers were working for the company.
The channel was repeating the old news again and again.
The contractor was asked to give the exact estimate of the project.
A lot of soldiers have been killed in friendly fire.
The doctor was absolutely unsure of the nature of his illness.
All the politicians agreed to disagree.
There was an employee in the office who was regularly irregular.
The hero of the play was so dejected that he was the perfect embodiment of being alone in a crowd.
The heads of state gathered to determine an approximate solution to the crisis.
The green pasture surrounded by hills was teeming with a deafening silence.
The political scientist was asked to give his unbiased opinion on the current issue.
The CEO of a multinational company said, “We have been awfully lucky to have survived the disastrous
effects of the recent economic recession.”
The program was not liked by the people, for a lot of unpopular celebrities were invited.
Function of Oxymoron
Oxymoron produces a dramatic effect in both prose and poetry. For instance, when we read or hear the
famous oxymoron, “sweet sorrow,” crafted by Shakespeare, it appeals to us instantly. It provokes our
thoughts, and makes us ponder the meaning of contradicting ideas. This apparently confusing phrase
expresses the complex nature of love, that can never be expressed through simple words.
In everyday conversation, however, people do not use oxymoron to make deep statements like the one
above. Instead, they do it to show wit. The use of oxymoron adds flavor to their speech.
As with many other literary and rhetorical devices, oxymorons are used for a variety of purposes.
Sometimes they are used to create some sort of drama for the reader or listener, and sometimes they
are used to make the person stop and think, whether it's to laugh or to ponder.One famous oxymoron is
the phrase "the same difference." This phrase qualifies as an oxymoron because the words "same" and
"difference" have completely opposite meanings. Therefore, bringing them together into one phrase
produces a verbally puzzling, yet engaging, effect.
Oxymorons from Everyday Life
Whether you know it or not, you have probably used, or at least heard, some oxymorons in your every
day life.
Great Depression
Jumbo shrimp
Cruel to be kind
Pain for pleasure
Clearly confused
Act naturally
Beautifully painful
Painfully beautiful
Deafening silence
Pretty ugly
Pretty fierce
Pretty cruel
Definitely maybe
Living dead
Walking dead
Only choice
Amazingly awful
Alone together
Virtual reality
Random order
Original copy
Happy sad
Disgustingly delicious
Run slowly
Awfully good
Awfully delicious
Small crowd
Dark light
Light darkness
Dark snow
Open secret
Passive aggressive
Appear invisible
Awfully lucky
Awfully pretty
Big baby
Tiny elephant
Wake up dead
Goodbye reception
Growing smaller
Least favorite
True myth
Typically weird
Typically odd
Naturally strange
Weirdly normal
Unpopular celebrity
Worthless gold
Sad joy
Liquid food
Heavy diet
Noticeable absence
Quiet presence
Short wait
Sweet agony
Sentence Examples with Oxymorons
There are some well-known sentences and quotations that make use of oxymorons. Seeing oxymorons
used in context often helps to provide a better idea of how and why they are used.
"I like a smuggler. He is the only honest thief." - Charles Lamb
"I can believe anything, provided that it is quite incredible." - Oscar Wilde
"And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true." - Alfred Tennyson
"Modern dancing is so old fashioned." - Samuel Goldwyn
"A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business." - Henry Ford
"I am busy doing nothing." - Oxymorons
"A little pain never hurt anyone." - Word Explorations
"I am a deeply superficial person." - Andy Warhol
"No one goes to that restaurant anymore - It's always too crowded." - Yogi Berra
"We are not anticipating any emergencies." - Word Explorations
"A joke is actually an extremely really serious issue." - Winston Churchill

"I like humanity, but I loathe persons." - Edna St. Vincent Millay
"I generally advise persons never ever to present assistance." - P.G. Wodehouse
For more oxymoron quotes, take a look at Examples of Funny Oxymoron Quotes.
Purpose of Oxymorons
Why use phrases that do not seem to make any logical sense?
Dramatic Effect
Saying that a picture or a scene is "painfully beautifully" calls attention to the speaker and the object of
inquiry. Such a phrase shows that an object can have two different qualities at once, making it a subject
for study and analysis.
Adding Flavor to Speech
When someone says a phrase such as "naturally weird" or "unpopular celebrity," the speaker is finding a
new way to describe that individual or object. Adding the adverb "naturally" to the first phrase makes it
even more apparent that the subject of discussion is rather unusual, as opposed to the effect that simply
the word "weird" would have.
For Entertainment
Sometimes people are not trying to make a profound declaration when they use oxymorons. Instead,
they want to be witty and to show that the can use words to make people laugh. One example of this use
of oxymoron is the example in which Oscar Wilde comically reflects on the fact that he "can resist
anything, except temptation".
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Common Examples of Oxymoron

Short Examples of Oxymoron in Speech

There was a love-hate relationship between the two neighboring states.

The professor was giving a lecture on virtual reality.

Paid volunteers were working for the company.

A lot of soldiers have been killed in friendly fire.

The doctor was absolutely unsure of the nature of his illness.

All the politicians agreed to disagree.

There was an employee in the office who was regularly irregular.

The heads of state gathered to determine an approximate solution to the crisis.

Oxymorons from Everyday Life

Pain for pleasure

Sentence Examples with Oxymorons

"I like a smuggler. He is the only honest thief." - Charles Lamb

"And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true." - Alfred Tennyson

"Modern dancing is so old fashioned." - Samuel Goldwyn

"I am busy doing nothing." - Oxymorons

"A little pain never hurt anyone." - Word Explorations

"I am a deeply superficial person." - Andy Warhol

"We are not anticipating any emergencies." - Word Explorations

"A joke is actually an extremely really serious issue." - Winston Churchill

Adding Flavor to Speech

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