Before we go straight to the examples, let’s figure out what an oxymoron is first. So, let’s begin with the name and its origins. The term oxymorum was first recorded a while back by a dude named Maurus Servius Honoratus, who lived around 400 AD. The term itself is derived from the Greek word oksus, meaning sharp, keen, pointed and moros meaning dull, stupid, or foolish. So, sharp-dull, keenly stupid, or pointedly foolish; your choice. What’s even more fun is that the word oxymoron is autological, which is a fancy term for saying that it is itself an example of an oxymoron.
Okay, with our short history lesson done, we should probably figure out when is the right time to use such a beautiful figure of speech (such a poetic term, isn’t it?). So, the most proper occasion to use an oxymoron would be when you want to create a self-contradiction or reveal a paradox. Here’s an oxymoron example that would work beautifully on such an occasion - absent presence. However, although an oxymoron sounds like it’s reserved to be used by scholars only, it is, in fact, used daily by pretty much every one of us. Think of declaring something to be awfully good or when your colleagues clearly misunderstand what you are saying to them. See? With just a few examples of an oxymoron, we’ve figured out that it is actually known and used by us daily!
Now we’ve talked about oxymoron definitions and examples, and it is probably time to check out the full list below. Lots of interesting words, and even more awesome combinations! Show this precious figure of speech some love by upvoting your favorite submissions and share this article with your friends!
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Comfortable misery
Meaning: When you are miserable but you are used to it.
Or as my cat describes it 'Not having Rotisserie Chicken and forced to eat like a peasant cat".
Passive-aggressive
Meaning: A pattern of indirectly expressing negative feelings instead of openly addressing them.
Found missing
Meaning: Something or someone was discovered to be missing.
Wise fool
Meaning: A form of literary paradox in which through a narrative a character recognized as a fool comes to be seen as a beholder of wisdom.
There's a great, old movie called 'Being There' with Peter Sellers about a wise fool.
Alone together
Meaning: Two people are together with no one else present.
Work vacation
Meaning: Work remotely while doing the touristy things on weekend or after work.
Resident alien
Meaning: A person who is a U.S. citizen or a foreign national who meets either the “green card” or “substantial presence” test.
Controlled chaos
Meaning: A state or situation that appears to be completely disorganised, but where some things are under control.
Absent presence
Meaning: Someone banishes another socially from an event – essentially ignoring them as if they were absent even though they are present.
Or giving someone your "thoughts and prayers" in lieu of an actual donation.
Cheerful pessimist
Meaning: one who accepts the brutal, harsh facts of life, and is prepared to accept that people, no matter how talented or how great, will always disappoint, yet he/she makes the best of it.
Icy hot
Meaning: something that is refreshingly cool and "icy", yet also has an element of tantalizing burning, the "hot" part.
Fun fact: Your body reacts the same way to extreme cold as it does to extreme heat, which is why ice is painful to hold, like a heat burn is painful. Ice 'burns' you in a different way.
Joyful sadness
Meaning: Being happy and sad at the same time (usually about different things/topics).
Living dead
Meaning: (in fiction) reanimated corpses that have been turned into creatures capable of movement but not of rational thought; zombies.
Negative income
Meaning: Invested income that has produced a loss and hence may yield a tax deduction.
Soft rock
Meaning: A style of rock music with a less persistent beat and more emphasis on lyrics and melody than hard rock.
Friendly fire
Meaning: Weapon fire coming from one's own side that causes accidental injury or death to one's own forces.
Deliberate mistake
Meaning: An action believed to be wrong, but still done on purpose.
Disgustingly delicious
Meaning: extremely (in a way that other people feel jealous of) tasty.
Does this remind anyone of the Friends episode, when Rachel tried to make the trifle?
Bittersweet
Meaning: 1. Arousing pleasure tinged with sadness or pain. 2. (of food or drink) sweet with a bitter aftertaste.
Crash landing
Meaning: An act of bringing an aircraft to the ground roughly in an emergency, typically without lowering the undercarriage.
Deafening silence
Meaning: A noteworthy silence, or absence of response, especially one signifying disapproval or lack of enthusiasm.
Definite maybe
Meaning: Something that you think you might do, but are not certain about.
Freezer burn
Meaning: A condition of discoloration or other damage caused to frozen food by evaporation, typically due to inadeqate packaging or storage conditions in the freezer.
Idiot savant
Meaning: A person who is extremely unworldly but displays natural wisdom and insight.
Magic realism
Meaning: A literary or artistic genre in which realistic narrative and naturalistic technique are combined with surreal elements of dream or fantasy.
Only choice
Meaning: A limited choose; not many options.
Original copy
Meaning: Original or near original copies of printed documents, not copies of copies.
The documents that my family received from the War Department for my Uncle Ivan. Posthumously. Marina killed in WW2, Pacific . The documents are hanging in my grandmothers house.
Sad smile
Meaning: A facial expression characterized by an upturning of the corners of the mouth, usually showing amusement, friendliness, etc., but sometimes scorn, etc.
Transparent night
Meaning: 1. Free from darkness or obscurity; bright. 2. Free from dullness or clouds.
True fiction
Meaning: Contemporary, realistic fiction story; imaginary characters and situations that depict our world and society.
Virtual reality
Meaning: A computer-generated environment with scenes and objects that appear to be real, making the user feel they are immersed in their surroundings.
Modern history
Meaning: History up to the present day, from some arbitrary point taken to represent the end of the Middle Ages.
When I studied history at varsity, I remember it being defined as the beginning of The Industrial Revolution. Somewhere around 1740.
Minor catastrophe
Meaning: A disaster that is likely to be within the response capabilities of local government and to result in only a minimal need for state or federal assistance.
Calculated risk
Meaning: A carefully considered decision that exposes a person to a degree of personal and financial risk that is counterbalanced by a reasonable possibility of benefit.
Definite possibility
Meaning: Used for saying that something will definitely happen, even though you do not know how it will happen.
Devout agnostic
Meaning: When you've reached the point where you just ain't worried about nothing. And all lies faithful people tell you don't matter but at the same time atheism doesn't seem interesting enough.
Rolling stop
Meaning: An individual failing to come to a complete stop, that is, all four wheels have ceased moving at a stop sign or red light that permits a right turn.
My friend did this twice. That was an expensive lesson to learn .$200, each time.
Conspicuous absence
Meaning: Way of drawing attention to the fact that someone is not in a place or situation where you think they should be.
Devout atheist
Meaning: An atheist who zealously pushes atheism or attacks religion to the point of being as annoying as the people who annoy him.
Eloquent silence
Meaning: Silence, which deliberately have been chosen by the speaker and is actually an internal choice.
Guest host
Meaning: a host, usually of a talk show, that hosts the program in lieu of the regular host if they fall ill, have another project or commitment, or are unable to host for some other reason.
Living sacrifices
Meaning: (in Bible) the entire person is given to God. It includes the dedication of the body as well as the transformation of the inner being.
Overbearingly modest
Meaning: Extremely shy; calm; Not having or showing any feelings of superiority, self-assertiveness, or showiness.
Pretty ugly
Meaning: Ugly to a moderately high degree.
I'm not sure if I like that dress on you, it's kinda pretty, it's kinda ugly: it's pretty ugly!
Recorded live
Meaning: The live Broadcast of the permanently captured audio or digital file containing the live streaming or recording of the Conference/Event.
Same difference
Meaning: Used to express the speaker's belief that two or more things are essentially the same, in spite of apparent differences.
Seriously funny
Meaning: The type of individual that knows that he/she is funny but denies and does not show any ounce of laughter or any sort of smile.
Silent scream
Meaning: The screaming face expression with the mouth open but no sounds coming out.
Terribly good
Meaning: Really, extremely good.
Unbiased opinion
Meaning: Free from bias; free from all prejudice and favoritism; eminently fair.
Unconscious awareness
Meaning: Not spending time consciously reflecting on what you should do; your response is immediate and comes from an intuitive sense.
Fail upwards
Meaning: To repeatedly get fired but consistently find a new job that are better than the one you just lost.
Approximating solution
Meaning: Calculating values when an equation cannot be solved using another method. The process involves estimating a start value, deriving the answer from the equation, and then improving the next estimate.
Free trade
Meaning: International trade left to its natural course without tariffs, quotas, or other restrictions.
Accidentally on purpose
Meaning: Something that has been done intentionally but pretending it happened by chance.
Real knockoff
Meaning: Truly, evidently a copy that sells for less than the original.
Like what we get from China? A lot of their stuff is mass reproductions., and not well made.
Lascivious grace
Meaning: Graciousness which is lascivious and sensual; sensuality which is gracious and elegant.
Endless hour
Meaning: A period of time that seems as if it will never end or stop.
Fine mess
Meaning: Quite an example of a mess.
This is another fine mess you've gotten us into. A line from a movie/ TV show. Can't think of the name.
Firm pillow
Meaning: Pillow which offers ample support with less compressibility than a softer pillow.
Joyful sorrow
Meaning: An emotional signifier of trust in the unfailing love of God in the midst of a fallen world.
Natural makeup look
Meaning: Can sometimes be described as “No-Makeup Makeup” or “Second Skin.” This look defines face features without major changes, sculpting, or colors.
Darkness visible
Meaning: In Bible, the phrase simultaneously furthers the counterplot, diminishing Satan by pointing to God as the ultimate perceiver for whom even darkness is visible.
Deliberate speed
Meaning: The law or a regulation needs to be maintained or instituted without delay.
Even odds
Meaning: An opportunity in which the chance of success is equal to that of failure.
Friendly takeover
Meaning: A scenario in which a target company is willingly acquired by another company.
Genuine imitation
Meaning: An imitation of a (usually) valuable object that is so good that it is, to all intents and purposes, identical.
Humane slaughter
Meaning: When an animal is either killed instantly or rendered insensible until death ensues, without pain, suffering or distress.
Intense apathy
Meaning: Severe symptoms of apathy; Low or no reaction to emotions, like not feeling or expressing emotions, either positive or negative, or feeling indifferent to situations others may have a reaction to.
Jumbo shrimp
Meaning: The phrase is typically used to refer to shrimp for human consumption that are of a particularly large size compared to other shrimp.
Living end
Meaning: The most extreme form of something or the final and most impactful development in a series of events — whether favorable or unfavorable.
Loyal opposition
Meaning: A minority party especially in a legislative body whose opposition to the party in power is constructive, responsible, and bounded by loyalty to fundamental interests and principles.
Militant pacifist
Meaning: Someone who will use every peaceful method at their disposal to oppose violence and war.
Minor miracle
Meaning: An improbable, unexpected, or surprising achievement or other occurrence that is fortunate and agreeable.
Negative growth
Meaning: A decline in a company's sales or earnings, or a decrease in an economy's GDP during any quarter.
I’ve heard this used to describe my country’s GDP. It’s the ultimate in weasel-words.
Paper towel
Meaning: A piece of absorbent paper used for wiping up liquids or drying things.
Plastic glasses
Meaning: A plastic substitute for a drinking vessel usually made of glass and would normally be transparent.
Plastic silverware
Meaning: Any utensil, such as a fork, spoon, spork, or knife, made predominantly of plastic, intended for only one-time use.
Poor health
Meaning: A person's inability to perform required tasks physically, mentally, or socially.
Properly ridiculous
Meaning: Silly or unreasonable to a moderately high degree.
Steel wool
Meaning: An abrasive material composed of long fine steel shavings and used especially for scouring and burnishing.
Student teacher
Meaning: A student who is learning how to teach and practicing teaching for the first time.
Government organization
Meaning: A government appointed group, it can be permanent or semi-permanent organization and is funded by the government.
Government Organisation has different meanings in different countries.
Approximately equal
Meaning: Close enough in value so the difference is inconsequential in practical terms.
Final draft
Meaning: A final version of something (such as a document) usually after a lot of editing and rewriting.
Mud bath
Meaning: A bath in the mud of mineral springs, taken to relieve rheumatic complaints.
Open circuit
Meaning: An electrical circuit in which the continuity is broken so that current does not flow.
Zero deficit
Meaning: When the government resorts to borrowing only to clear the existing backlog of interest payments.
Loosely sealed
Meaning: 1. Free or released from confinement or restraint. 2. Not close, compact, or tight in structure or arrangement.
Accurate estimate
Meaning: An indication of the degree to which the final cost outcome of a project may vary from the single point value used as the estimated cost for the project.
Double solitaire
Meaning: A card game for two players in which each plays an individual game of Klondike or Canfield but can build upon the opponent's as well as his or her own aces, the winner being the one who has played the greater number of cards to the center.
