An oxymoron is when the meaning of one word contradicts the meaning of another but the meaning of the two words isn't lost. For example in the sentence "In the event of a tsunami it is best to get to high ground." high ground is an oxymoron because the meaning of high and the meaning of ground contradicts eachother.
For more examples of an oxymoron go to http://www.oxymoronlist.com/
You forgot an interesting picture to help me remember and recognize the literary term, but you provided a concise definition and clearly labeled the oxymoron in the example you gave.
ReplyDeleteAnother example would be "He's clearly confused." Clearly separated, but in the same context, would mean that something is understood, while confused would retain it's obvious meaning. But together, they just mean that it is noticeable that he is confused.
Your example of an oxymoron really helped me understand what an oxymoron is. The definition was easy to understand and the oxymoron you offered along with the website are great examples. Another example of an oxymoron would be junk food. The junk implies it is not beneficial in any way and unnecessary while food implies sustenance and something we all need.
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