What is an oxymoron?

What is an oxymoron?
It might sound like a schoolyard insult, but it’s not. An oxymoron refers to a word, phrase, or use of language that seems to directly contradict itself, and it is believed to come from the Greek ox(s), “sharp,” andmrs, “dull.” So the word for “oxymoron” actuallyisan oxymoron in Greek!

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Some oxymorons are accidental and/or so common in our speech that we don’t realize that they’re totally contradictory. (“Old news,” anyone?) However, others can be intentional: For instance, in the phrase “deafening silence,” the seeming contradiction only serves to emphasize the intensity of the silence. And, of course, plenty of people use oxymorons intentionally for humorous effect. Here are some of our favorite oxymoron examples from everyday life and pop culture.
Oxymoron examples in everyday expressions
Awfully good
Bittersweet
Civil war
Definite possibility
Exact estimate
Extinct life
Grow smaller
Only choice
Random order
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Oxymoronic objects and concepts
Jumbo shrimp
Old news
Original copy
Plastic silverware
True fiction
Virtual reality
Working vacation
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Oxymoron examples in pop culture
“Alone Together”: Song by Fall Out Boy
Definitely, Maybe: 2008 film
Night of the Living Dead: 1968 film
“The Sound of Silence”: Song by Simon & Garfunkel
“All your perfect imperfections”: John Legend in his song “All of Me”
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Funny oxymoron quotes
Clara Barton: “I distinctly remember forgetting that.”
Dolly Parton: “You’d be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap.”
Isaac Bashevis Singer: “We must believe in free will. We have no choice.”
Mark Twain: “It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.”
Samuel Goldwyn: “A verbal contract isnt worth the paper its written on.”
Next, read up on what an aphorism is and how it’s used.

Source:

Dictionary.com: “Oxymoron“
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