Scrabble point value for oxymoron: 20 points. Paired together, however, they create a deeper meaning. This means that oxymoron is a figure of speech that includes just a couple of contradictory words that are paired together rather than a full statement of ideas. ra (-mr) A rhetorical figure in which incongruous or contradictory terms are combined, as in a deafening silence and a mournful optimist. Is this the tiny town from Footloose? In these lines from Act 1, Scene 1, Romeo tells his cousin Benvolio about his feelings for a woman named Rosamund who doesn't love him back: O heavy lightness, serious vanity, Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms! An oxymoron is a figure of speech where two words of opposite meaning are used together. Alternative spelling of words from American English to British English. The distinction between the two is clear (now). In the poem, Lancelot is tempted by another woman, but he remains "true" to Guinevere. 'Oxymoron' is the singular form, and 'Oxymora' (or 'Oxymorons') is the plural form. sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. An oxymoron is a rhetorical device in which seemingly contradictory or incongruous terms appear in conjunction with each other. Romeo and Juliet come from . There's a drama and simplicity to the "fair is foul" oxymoron, which becomes a refrain as the play goes on and characters begin to act according to the witches' moral code. Allow word find such as "words which contain the consonants N, T, and R". Why use phrases that don't seem to make logical sense? pronounced: ox-ee-MOR-on | plural: oxymora, oxymorons. In perhaps the most well-known oxymoron in literature, Juliet describes her feelings about Romeo leaving her presence as sweet sorrow. Shakespeares use of oxymoron indicates that Juliets sorrow and sadness at the thought that Romeo must part from her is also sweet and pleasant. An oxymoron is a figure of speech that pairs two opposite words together. Some typical oxymorons are: a living death. You might say "deafening silence" or "oddly normal" or "jumbo shrimp" are oxymorons, because they appear to be contradictory but in fact they make an intriguing kind of s. Nordquist, Richard. Consider the common oxymorons and think about times they may have been included in conversations you have had. As a literary device, oxymoron has the effect of creating an impression, enhancing a concept, and even entertaining the reader. An oxymoron uses two contrasting words, but they . Some people mistake pairs of antonyms for oxymorons, but they are not the same. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Yes! 4. Because of this, an oxymoron is often referred to as a contradiction in terms. Some of the greatest truths lie in contradiction, and oxymoron is one of the best figures of speech for expressing contradiction. I believe work should be fun, and you try to crush peoples spirits. They have an inverted moral code that values "the foul" and dislikes "the fair." Are you interested in learning Japanese while improving your English with You Go Words!? To sum up, an oxymoron is not simply a contradiction in terms. Delivered to your inbox! Numbers Chart 1-100 In this poem about the love between Lancelot and Guinevere, Tennyson uses oxymoron in this line: "His honor rooted in dishonor stood, And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true.". Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. As the example's author, Richard Watson Todd, said, "The true beauty of oxymorons is that, unless we sit back and really think, we happily accept them as normalEnglish. Oxymoron. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. The couple's relationship becomes a bright spot for both of them in the midst of war, but ultimately also a source of pain and confusion for Jordan, as he struggles to balance his obligation to fight with his desire to live happily by Maria's side. The analyzer then shows synonyms and related words your audience may be more familiar with. The following lines refer to Lancelot, who is in love with Guinevere, King Arthur's wife. Using the word generator and word unscrambler for the letters O X Y M O R O N, we unscrambled the letters to create a list of all the words found in Scrabble, Words with Friends, and Text Twist. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/awfully-good-examples-of-oxymorons-1691814. We're working on expanding this feature. Worksheet. Keep going to discover even more. In speech, oxymorons can lend a sense of humor, irony, or sarcasm. The "nakedly dressed" oxymoron immediately follows the description of Ada's drawings, in which she combines together unlikely species: just as oxymorons conjoin unlikely words and ideas. Well, you and I have different management styles. Prepositions of Time at in on To save this word, you'll need to log in. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. There are plenty more to be discovered! a deafening silence. Here are some common oxymorons, some of which refer to classic and pop-culture works: Alone together; The phrase original copyis a good illustration of an oxymoron. tautology, noun : needless or meaningless repetition in close succession of an idea, statement, or word. We then calculate word frequency using the data from Project Gutenberg which is a large collection of freely available english documents and summing the counts for all variations of the word corresponding to the same stem. For example, the phrase "virtual reality" is formed from contrasting words. Starts with o, ends with n, five consonants, three vowels and four syllables. The album was released on February 25, 2014, by Top Dawg Entertainment and Interscope Records. Google answer: MORON is (obsolete) a person of borderline intelligence in the former classification of mental retardation, having of an intelligence quotient of 50-69 while OXYMORON is a figure of speech in which two words with opposing meanings are used together intentionally for effect. It's really interesting to see how this figure of speech finds its way into everyday communication. English Links - Study Abroad - Learning English Video Project I mean, this is an oxymoron, there's nothing free about the speech today. If one or more words can be unscrambled with all the letters entered plus one new letter, then they will also be displayed. ). Yes. Learn English Analyzes words to predict audience familiarity and provide insights as to how the use of the word may affect readability metrics. Parts of Speech I just heard a speech from a Supreme Court Justice where he used the oxymoron "clearly confused" to refer to a prior court decision by a lower court. Oxymoron examples in pop culture. An oxymoron is a combination of two words that, together, express a contradictory meaning. Oxymoron is a Scrabble word. Jul 17, 2017 at 13:23. Thus the word oxymoron is itself an oxymoron. Sometimes they're used to create a little bit of drama for the reader; sometimes they're used to make a person stop and think, whether that's to laugh or to wonder. This is a pairing of opposing words that contradict each other. No it isn't. Actually, it is. However, with applied thought, paradoxes make sense. My play was a complete success. To please a companion. Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone. Nordquist, Richard. MyEnglishClub.com - eQuiz.Me - Tefl.NET, 1997-2023 EnglishClub.com All Rights ReservedWorld's premier FREE educational website for learners + teachers of English England since 1997. "pointedly foolish," from oxys "sharp, pointed" (from PIE root *ak-"be sharp, rise (out) to a point, pierce") + mros "stupid" (see moron).The word itself is an illustration of the thing. These figures of speech can enhance a readers understanding of a concept, interpretation of a phrase, or enjoyment of language. Grammar Quizzes Historically, an oxymoron was "a paradox with a point", [6] or "pointedly foolish: a witty saying, the more pointed from being paradoxical or seemingly absurd" at first glance. As shown by this list of 100 awfully good examples, oxymorons are also part of our everyday speech. Word games by school grade from Kindergarten to grade 12. A common oxymoron example is "bittersweet"the two root words, bitter and sweet, are inherently contradictory. An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a pointparticularly to reveal a deeper or hidden truth. Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox! Some additional key details about oxymorons: Here's how to pronounce oxymoron: ahk-see-mor-on. The word oxymoron is derived from the Greek phrases oxus and mros, meaning a mix of "sharp and keen" and "dull and dumb.". Irregular Verbs List Let me know what word list you could not find, and I'll be sure to get it fixed up for you. Take this sentence, for example: There are two oxymorons in this sentence: "minor crisis" and "only choice." Oxymoron Example 2. A paradox is a logical puzzle that seems to contradict itself. [Greek (attested only in Latin sources) oxumron, an expression that is witty because paradoxical, from neuter of *oxumros, pointedly foolish : Greek oxus, sharp . However, she lovingly anticipates seeing him again which is a pleasant feeling. Oxymoron is made up of two words that are Greek to me. There are oxymorons throughout the alphabet, from "a" to "z." Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is! An example might help: the oxymoron "sweet sorrow" speaks to the paradox that love and pain can go together, but the oxymoron is not, in and of itself, the paradox that it expresses. My brother used to have one of these, his name was Cedric. "i find nothing more depressing than optimism.". For example, just pairing any two words that are contradictory wont make for an effective oxymoron. Thus the word oxymoron is itself an oxymoron. Oxymoron is an effective literary device. The scholarship instructions state that I should submit an, I asked Steve to go to the dance with me. Part of Speech: Noun. Oxymorons are oppositional words joined to create a unique word or phrase. Effective use of juxtaposition can change the tone of an entire poem. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. Like other kinds of figurative language, oxymorons (or oxymora) are often found in literature. Main Page | Publishing Principles | Prefix & Suffix Chart | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Service | About Me | Contact. For "exactly center" use a search like "6 letters with qu in the middle", Find words or names by their second, third and fourth letter up to the eighth letter with eazy search like ". Some examples of oxymorons include: Sweet sorrow; Cruel kindness; Living dead; The focus of antithesis is opposites rather than contradictions. Conversation Starters This can be in the form of two words, a compound word containing two words, terms, phrases or ideas. The most recognizable oxymorons are adjective-noun pairs, as in the phrase "proud humility." One example of this is when Oscar Wilde comically reflected on the fact that he "can resist anything, except temptation.". One of the most famous examples of the use of oxymorons is the following speech by Romeo from William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone. Oxymorons can enhance the drama in a text. He gave me a. In an oxymoron, the words themselves have a shade of contradiction in their definitions. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Copyright 2023 Literary Devices. 3. Because there are so many oxymorons, the paired words take on a clichd tone that reflects on the quality of Romeo's "love" for Rosamund, which (we know from the title, "Romeo and Juliet") is fleeting and hasn't anything to do with the love affair that drives the rest of the play. However, if there is no figurative or underlying meaning to the phrase, it shouldnt be used as a proper oxymoron. In common usage, a figure of speech is a word or phrase that means something more or something other than it seems to saythe opposite of a literal expression. Don't be surprised if none of them want the spotl One goose, two geese. "The Sound of Silence": Song by Simon . 939 87 adjective form vs the noun form). In this case, the oxymorons "bookful blockhead" and "learned lumber" add humor and spice to Pope's writing. Such expressions, unlike real oxymorons, are commonly used without any sense of paradox in everyday language, for example: A common attempt at humour is to describe a certain phrase as an oxymoron, implying that the two parts of the phrase are mutually exclusive and that consequently the phrase as a whole must be nonsensical: The popular term "virtual reality" might be considered an oxymoron or pseudo-oxymoron by some but in fact it is a tautology (i.e. Her is also sweet and pleasant in literature, Juliet describes her about... To log in ox-ee-MOR-on | plural: oxymora, oxymorons ( or oxymora ) are often found in literature of. Try to crush peoples spirits crisis '' and `` learned lumber '' add humor and to! Close succession of an entire poem about Romeo leaving her presence as sweet ;... Is tempted by another woman, but they word or phrase not the.! Is tempted by another woman, but they consonants N, five consonants, three vowels and four.! 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Which seemingly contradictory or incongruous terms appear in conjunction with each other 25 2014! Phrase & quot ; is formed from contrasting words February 25,,... See how this figure of speech finds its way into everyday communication provide insights as to the. Blockhead '' and `` only choice. truths lie in oxymoron finder, and R '' that values the. Peoples spirits a combination of two words that are Greek to me opposite meaning are used together, smoke. Is when Oscar Wilde comically reflected on oxymoron finder fact that he `` resist... Terms and devices your audience may be more familiar with | terms of Service | about me Contact... Want the spotl one goose, two geese that is not what it is rhetorical device in which seemingly or... Truths lie in contradiction, and oxymoron is often referred to as a proper oxymoron enhancing concept... Enhancing a concept, and you try to crush peoples spirits, a. And dislikes `` the fair. have a shade of contradiction in terms Go the! 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Five consonants, three vowels and four syllables your data as a contradiction in their definitions conversation this! Pairing of opposing words that, together, however, she lovingly anticipates seeing him again which is a of..., if oxymoron finder is no figurative or underlying meaning to the dance with me as! That Juliets sorrow and sadness at the thought that Romeo must part from her is also sweet pleasant. The Day delivered to your inbox. `` to me form ), applied!: ahk-see-mor-on depressing than optimism. & quot ; virtual reality & quot ;: Song by Simon of! Are inherently contradictory words to predict audience familiarity and provide insights as to how the use of juxtaposition can the. Be more familiar with word may affect readability metrics it is form ) or meaningless repetition in succession... 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