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Examples of Oxymorons
An oxymoron is a figure of speech containing words that seem to contradict each other. It's often referred to as a contradiction in terms. As with other rhetorical devices, oxymorons are used for a variety of purposes. Sometimes they're used to create a little bit of drama for the reader; sometimes they're used to make a person stop and think, whether that's to laugh or to wonder.
A common oxymoron is the phrase "the same difference." This phrase qualifies as an oxymoron because the words "same" and "difference" have opposite meanings. Bringing them together into one phrase produces a verbally puzzling, yet engaging, effect.
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Common Oxymorons
It's likely you've used, or at least heard, a couple oxymorons in your everyday life, even if you didn't realize it at the time. Let's see if any of these examples of oxymorons hit home for you:
Act naturally
Alone together
Amazingly awful
Bittersweet
Clearly confused
Dark light
Deafening silence
Definitely maybe
Farewell reception
Growing smaller
Jumbo shrimp
Only choice
Open secret
Original copy
Painfully beautiful
Passive aggressive
Random order
Small crowd
Sweet sorrow
True myth
Walking dead
Weirdly normal
