An oxymoron is a figure of speech that uses words with contradictory or clashing ideas next to each other. They appear frequently in printed material, e.g. newspapers and magazines.
Example of an Oxymoron
Here are some of our favorites.
accidentally on purpose | literal interpretation |
accurate estimate | little giant |
act naturally | live recording |
adult child | living dead |
advanced BASIC | living death |
advanced beginner | loud whisper |
a fine mess | love-hate relationship |
almost exact | make haste slowly |
alone together | military intelligence |
approximately equal | minor crisis |
awfully good | minor disaster |
bad luck | musical comedy |
bankrupt millionaire | near miss |
bittersweet | never again |
black gold | new antiques |
civil engineer | new classic |
clearly confused | new routine |
clearly misunderstood | now then |
clever fool | old news |
completely unfinished | only choice |
constant change | open secret |
constant variable | organized mess |
crash landing | original copy |
criminal justice | passive aggressive |
curved line | plastic glasses |
deafening silence | plastic silverware |
definite maybe | plastic straw |
deliberate mistake | poor little rich girl |
even odds | pretty ugly |
exact estimate | random order |
expert amateur | real-life fairy tale |
extinct life | resident alien |
first annual | rolling stop |
found missing | same difference |
free love | science fiction |
free slave | serious fun |
free trade | seriously funny |
freezer burn | sleepwalk |
fresh frozen | steel wool |
genuine imitation | student teacher |
global village | sun shade |
good grief | sweet sorrow |
graduate student | sweet tart |
Great Depression | synthetic natural gas |
honest crook | tragic comedy |
hopelessly optimistic | unbiased opinion |
increasing declines | virtual reality |
inside out | wise fool |
jumbo shrimp | wordless book |
larger half | work party |
little big | working holiday |
liquid crystal | working vacation |
liquid gas | young old person |
Please use our comment form below to share some of your favorite oxymorons.
sunakshi says
great!!