An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory or opposing words are joined together. It combines the Greek words ‘oxys’ (meaning sharp or pointed) and ‘moros’ (meaning stupid).
While oxymorons appear illogical, they are used to create humour or to illustrate a complex blend of emotions or mixed feelings, or sometimes, just make you stop and think more deeply about an issue. Oxymorons can consist of two separate words or they can be combined into one compound word.
Discuss why the following word combinations are oxymorons
Single word oxymorons:
- Bittersweet (bitter is unpleasant, sweet is delicious)
- Spendthrift (spend is to use money, thrift is to save money)
- Bridegroom (bride is a female, groom is a male).
- Wholesome (whole is complete, some is part)
Two-word oxymorons:
- Jumbo shrimp (jumbo is large, shrimp is small)
- Deafening silence (deafening is very loud, silence is quiet)
- Act naturally (act is pretending, naturally is real)
- Organised chaos (organised is arranged and neat, chaos is confusion and disorder)
- Only choice (only is one, choice is the act of picking from many)
- Old news (old is not new, news is current)
- Seriously funny (seriously is earnest and thoughtful, funny is humorous)
- Guest host (guest is a visitor or an invited special person, host is someone who entertains or regularly presents a show)
- Open secret (open means anyone can see or access, secret is hidden or restricted to a few).
Links to Oxymoron Signs
- Oxymoron Museum
- Oxymoron Library
- No signs allowed
- Stop-Keep moving
- Reserved for drive through parking
- Keep right
- Dry creek
- Missing person sighting
- Phone out of service – give us a call
- Loud mufflers strictly enforced
Identify the oxymorons in the following sentences and discuss why the writer may have used the oxymoron (Click here to download pdf worksheet)
- The end of our overseas holiday was bittersweet. (I’m bitter because of feeling sad that the holiday had ended, but happy that it had been a great holiday and we are going home.)
- I have a love hate relationship with my brother. (I love that my brother is kind and helpful, but I hate that he teases me all the time.)
- My friend was clearly confused by the maze.
- The lawyer asked for the original copies of the document.
- Mum bought a genuine imitation of a pearl necklace.
- I went on a working holiday to Italy.
- Your only choice is to start again.
- I will ask my dad to give me his unbiased opinion as to whether or not I should play basketball or cricket.
- We packed the plastic glasses into our picnic hamper.
- Our class has a student teacher for a week.
- My grandmother’s chocolate chip biscuits are awfully good.
- There was a small crowd watching the busker.
- My parents have zero tolerance when it comes to children swearing.
- I let out a silent scream when my cat showed me the dead mouse it had caught.
- That singer is the most unpopular celebrity in the world.
Other suggestions
- Students create their own sentences using oxymorons.
- Students develop a mini story consisting of one paragraph which ends with one of the oxymoron sentences created in the previous activity.
- Students create their own original oxymorons
- Play the Wild Cards-Oxymoron game