Download the app
educalingo
Search
I take it that a successful therapy is an oxymoron.
Harold Bloom

Meaning of "oxymoron" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
section

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD OXYMORON

Via New Latin from Greek oxumōron, from oxus sharp + mōros stupid.
info
Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsapp
section

PRONUNCIATION OF OXYMORON

oxymoron  [ˌɒksɪˈmɔːrɒn] play
facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsapp

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF OXYMORON

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Oxymoron is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES OXYMORON MEAN IN ENGLISH?

oxymoron

Oxymoron

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that juxtaposes elements that appear to be contradictory. Oxymora appear in a variety of contexts, including inadvertent errors and literary oxymorons crafted to reveal a paradox.

Definition of oxymoron in the English dictionary

The definition of oxymoron in the dictionary is an epigrammatic effect, by which contradictory terms are used in conjunction.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH OXYMORON


Acheron
ˈækəˌrɒn
boron
ˈbɔːrɒn
digitron
ˈdɪdʒɪˌtrɒn
electron
ɪˈlɛktrɒn
giron
ˈdʒaɪrɒn
Hebron
ˈhɛbrɒn
interferon
ˌɪntəˈfɪərɒn
magnetron
ˈmæɡnɪˌtrɒn
mellotron
ˈmɛləˌtrɒn
micron
ˈmaɪkrɒn
moron
ˈmɔːrɒn
neuron
ˈnjʊərɒn
neutron
ˈnjuːtrɒn
Oberon
ˈəʊbəˌrɒn
oxymoronic
ˌɒksɪˈmɔːrɒn
positron
ˈpɒzɪˌtrɒn
Sharon
ʃəˈrɒn
thoron
ˈθɔːrɒn
tron
trɒn
vigneron
ˈviːnjərɒn

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE OXYMORON

oxygeniser
oxygenize
oxygenizer
oxygenless
oxygenous
oxyhaemoglobin
oxyhemoglobin
oxyhydrogen
oxymel
oxymora
oxymoronic
oxymoronically
oxyntic
oxyphenbutazone
oxyphil
oxyphilic
oxyrhynchus
oxysalt
oxysome
oxysulphide

WORDS THAT END LIKE OXYMORON

Aaron
adiaphoron
Akron
apron
baron
Byron
Cameron
cast iron
cast-iron
chevron
citron
environ
flatiron
Huron
iron
marron
oophoron
patron
squadron
Theron

Synonyms and antonyms of oxymoron in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «oxymoron» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF OXYMORON

Find out the translation of oxymoron to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of oxymoron from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «oxymoron» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

矛盾
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

oxímoron
570 millions of speakers

English

oxymoron
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

आक्सीमोरण
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

الإرداف الخلفي
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

оксюморон
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

oxímoro
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

বিরোধাভাস
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

oxymoron
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Oxymoron
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

Oxymoron
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

矛盾した表現
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

모순 어법 (oxymoron)
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Oxymoron
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

mâu thuân hình dung pháp
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

புத்திசாலித்தனம்
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

ऑक्सीमोरॉन
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

tezat
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

ossimoro
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

oksymoron
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

оксюморон
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

oximoron
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

οξύμωρο
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

oksimoron
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

oxymoron
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

oxymoron
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of oxymoron

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «OXYMORON»

The term «oxymoron» is quite widely used and occupies the 42.229 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Quite widely used
81
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «oxymoron» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of oxymoron
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «oxymoron».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «OXYMORON» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «oxymoron» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «oxymoron» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about oxymoron

EXAMPLES

10 QUOTES WITH «OXYMORON»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word oxymoron.
1
Christian Bale
In terms of the romantic kind of lead, I just never enjoy those movies very much. Maybe they'll come to interest me more as I get older. I doubt it, but maybe. Romantic comedies tend to be, for me, an oxymoron.
2
Harold Bloom
I take it that a successful therapy is an oxymoron.
3
Patricia Clarkson
And I have a really great agent and I know it's almost an oxymoron to say you have a smart agent. But she is and she has a beautiful aesthetic and she has guided me.
4
Johnny Depp
The term 'serious actor' is kind of an oxymoron, isn't it? Like 'Republican party' or 'airplane food.'
5
Eliza Dushku
My parents divorced when I was born, and my mother is a political science professor, like a feminist Mormon, which is sort of an oxymoron.
6
Mariella Frostrup
Placing 'amicable' and 'separation' together creates an oxymoron - we don't usually decide to end a partnership until the very sight of our soon-to-be ex fills us with disgust, misery, agony or a combination of all three.
7
Mohnish Pabrai
You know, my degrees are in computer engineering. I spent a lot of time in the tech industry. And I like to say that I don't invest in tech because I spent time in it. And I saw firsthand that the durability of technology moats is many times an oxymoron.
8
Joe Pantoliano
I've been saying in the press that being a NY Post investigator reporter is an oxymoron.
9
Barbara Park
I find the term 'perfect child' to be an oxymoron.
10
Martha Plimpton
Independent film is not only an oxymoron; it doesn't exist anymore.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «OXYMORON»

Discover the use of oxymoron in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to oxymoron and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Raw Data Is an Oxymoron
This book reminds us that data is anything but"raw," that we shouldn't think of data as a natural resource but as a cultural one thatneeds to be generated, protected, and interpreted.
Lisa Gitelman, 2013
2
Christian Fighter Pilot Is Not an Oxymoron
Fighter pilots are known for their bravery, cunning, and skill in combat.
Jonathan Dowty, 2007
3
Oxymoron?
Many teachers know they are not fun, but they lack a solution to the problem. "Oxymoron?" is a practical guide for any educator who is currently teaching grades kindergarten through high school.
Matthew Bryant, 2006
4
Political Communication Ethics: An Oxymoron?
Analyzes ethical dimensions of contemporary political campaigning and governing.
Robert E. Denton (Jr.), 2000
5
Plantation Forests and Biodiversity: Oxymoron or ...
Oxymoron Or Opportunity? ... land can assist conservation by providing complementary forest habitat, buVering edge eVects, and An 'oxymoron' is a Wgure of speech using an intended combination of two apparently contradictory terms.
Eckehard G. Brockerhoff, John A. Parrotta, 2010
6
The Oxymoron Factor
It took him years, again, to complete this manuscript, the Confession of a Jew, so to speak. The book covers almost the entire 20th Century and, even though it reads like fiction, it is an important page of History of Mankind.
Frank Stiffel, 2000
7
Time Management Is an Oxymoron
This book Can help! Time Management is an Oxymoron, just released by Leathers Publishing, was written by paper handling, e-mail and telephone management expert Maynard Rolston.
Maynard Rolston, 2001
8
Ready to Answer: Why Homophobic Church Is an Oxymoron
"It's an abomination!" "They want to 'pick and choose' what parts of the Bible to obey!" "God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve!"
Rev. Marilyn Bowens, 2011
9
Oxymoron
High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! An oxymoron (plural oxymorons or oxymora) (from Greek, "sharp dull") is a figure of speech that combines contradictory terms.
Jesse Russell, Ronald Cohn, 2012
10
Methods of Rhetorical Criticism: A Twentieth-century Perspective
THE FEMINIST APPROACH THE RHETORIC OF WOMEN'S LIBERATION: AN OXYMORON Karlyn Kohrs Campbell Whatever the phrase "women's liberation" means, it cannot, as yet, be used to refer to a cohesive historical-political movement ...
Bernard L. Brock, Robert Lee Scott, James W. Chesebro, 1989

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «OXYMORON»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term oxymoron is used in the context of the following news items.
1
The Best Philadelphians 2015
Maria Quiñones-Sánchez, who spent another year as the most effective person on City Council, a designation so rare, it's almost an oxymoron. «Philadelphia Magazine, Jul 15»
2
8 email etiquette tips you must know
... a stinker to a subordinate with a `sincerely yours' closure, until and unless you don't want the entire email to read like a bloated oxymoron. «Times of India, Jul 15»
3
Chief Keef and Lil Bibby give worst performance in music history
An oxymoron of sorts. Besides the before act of Lil Bibby using extreme profanity while promoting "How We Move," "Know Something'" and an ... «ChicagoNow, Jul 15»
4
Our National Scorecard
Even the Supreme Court plays fast and loose with age-old moral prohibitions, mandating gay marriage (a 1st class oxymoron). The acceptance ... «American Thinker, Jul 15»
5
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU NEED A TEMPORARY SECOND CAR
And yes, I'm aware that the term “high-speed jet” is an oxymoron when talking about a '69 Bug, but that's what they call it. Even though you say ... «Lima Ohio, Jul 15»
6
It's time for American Jews to recognize they have been duped
It is an oxymoron. Settler-colonialism is a crime against humanity. A crime can't behave morally… It is this chasm, this disconnect in the minds ... «Mondoweiss, Jul 15»
7
Playing Solitaire In A Parliamentary Democracy
Democracy in a one-party state may sound like an oxymoron, but such a thing does exist in our known world. In a single-party state only one ... «The Daily Star, Jul 15»
8
Loblaw cuts are just part of the new food paradigm
Although it struck some as a kind of corporate oxymoron, the economic picture in this sector made the company's decision to close a cluster of ... «The Globe and Mail, Jul 15»
9
Sales of smartphones are at an all-time high, but are smartphones …
Have you heard of the term 'oxymoron'? Can you standardise it so that. EACH phone is water proof, dust proof and shock proof as a bare ... «Hindustan Times, Jul 15»
10
A beer company launches near South Station
Manice says he intends the protein to be “a tiebreaker,” and that he knows “healthy” beer is inherently an oxymoron. Mighty Squirrel (around ... «Boston Globe, Jul 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Oxymoron [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/oxymoron>. Apr 2024 ».
Download the educalingo app
en
English dictionary
Discover all that is hidden in the words on
index
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z