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.

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

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 • Dec. 9, 2025

Has the term “Dodgers organization” become an oxymoron?

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2024

Until now, such a concept would have been an oxymoron, a historical phenomenon without precedent.

From Salon • May 22, 2024

A November stillness was settling like a deadly oxymoron on the April landscape.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Vocabulary lists containing oxymoron

Literary Devices & Figures of Speech - Introductory

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Poetry: Literary Devices

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AP English Lit exam terms

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