Here's a longer passage from the famous tragedy that uses multiple examples of oxymoron: "Why, then, O brawling love! a person who is on good terms with another; a person who is not hostile" We are friends; we have been for a long time. It even proofreads your text, so your work is extra polished wherever you write. The phrase original copyis a good illustration of an oxymoron. A great example is the movie, Legally Blonde, starring Reese Witherspoon. Professor Raymond Malewitz answers these questions using examples from William Shake. marekuliasz / iStock / Getty Images Plus. ", In Animal Farm, George Orwell uses an oxymoron in the midst of a paradox: "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.". Our vetted tutor database includes a range of experienced educators who can help you polish an essay for English or explain how derivatives work for Calculus. "100 Awfully Good Examples of Oxymorons." However, a bone may seem juicy to a dog that is salivating at the thought of chewing it. This contradiction is also known as a paradox. Responsible Drinking? As with other rhetorical devices, oxymorons are used for a variety of purposes. 3 Surprising Ways to Help Stoic Men Open Up, 5 Ways Your Mind Deceives You When Your Heart Is Broken, 2 Ways Empathy Determines the Type of Partner We Choose, To Be Happy for the Rest of Your Life, Seek These Goals, 6 Surprising Ways to Change Habits and Transform Your Life, If You Think You Have ADHD, Ask Yourself These 5 Questions, How Emotional Neglect From Childhood Can Hold You Back, The Role of Self-Determination in Well-Being, 8 Things to Do If You're the Target of Hurtful Gossip, How Wanting to Be Liked" Gets You Rejected. What Are Some Examples of Oxymorons in Pop Culture? "Parting is such sweet sorrow." Even if you're a wise fool you can show real potential. Write with Grammarly. One of the most famous examples of a paradox is thesentence, "This statement is false." Some of the stories might even be old news! That I shall say good night till it be morrow. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points, How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer. When Youre Most Likely to Long for Sex With Your Ex, 2 Ways Empathy Determines the Type of Partner We Choose, To Be Happy for the Rest of Your Life, Seek These Goals, 6 Surprising Ways to Change Habits and Transform Your Life, If You Think You Have ADHD, Ask Yourself These 5 Questions. Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone. Our beliefs and experiences affect how we show up in a relationship. Unfortunately, the people I had dedicated time to thus far were achievement-oriented and were pouring their time into work and not our friendships. PostedDecember 15, 2013 Fun Fact: Oxymoron comes from the Greek word okss (meaning keen) and mros (meaning stupid). We both view the friendship as one that makes each others lives better, therefore its always worth the time and energy. How to use oxymoron in a sentence. Feel free to look throughthis vast list of oxymoron examplesif youre in need of an oxymoron for something you're writing or if you simply want tolearn some of the most commonones. Virtual reality is an oxymoron because "virtual" implies that something isn't real, but reality implies that it is. The word oxymoron is itself an oxymoron; in Greek, oxy- means "sharp" or "wise," while moros means "foolish." Definitions of oxymoron noun All rights reserved. Friendship makes life more enjoyable and enriches one's everyday experiences. Join for Free The word "oxymoron" is itself oxymoronic, which is to say contradictory. Reviewed by Jessica Schrader. As a kid, you might have attended a slumber party where you played practical jokes on your friends. You don't need to grow up in a perfect family to be emotionally happy and healthy, but your family must be "good enough.". I take it that a successful therapy is an oxymoron. These phrases combine to create a whole new concept. With good, and bad, and worse, alike prolific, Too much of one sort would be soporific;. Two friends, with full-time jobs, have launched an ecommerce coffee roasting company Oxymoron Coffee in upstate New York and are looking to add to their revenue streams. Paired together, however, they create a deeper meaning. Friendship is something It uses parallel structure in conjunction with opposing or unrelated words. As rhetorical devices, oxymorons have been used in many different mediums from political speeches to novels to stage plays. But she doesnt look at all like the typical law student with her pink clothes, her Chihuahua, Bruiser, who goes with her everywhere in her tote bag, and her bright orange MacBook standing out against all the gray and silver laptops in the classroom. Also, mastering, Both are contradictions, but the big difference between oxymoron and paradox is that a, is something you think about. This presents the word. One example of this is when Oscar Wilde comically reflected on the fact that he "can resist anything, except temptation.". The contrast between the positive attributes of the first word against the negative attributes of the second illustrates this oxymoron. You don't have to make yourself into what you think others would find attractive. 100 Awfully Good Examples of Oxymorons. A common oxymoron example is "bittersweet"the two root words, bitter and sweet, are inherently contradictory. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC. ), so this article explains everything you need to know. It was called Waking Dream. How Blame and Shame Can Fuel Depression in Rape Victims, Getting More Hugs Is Linked to Fewer Symptoms of Depression, Interacting With Outgroup Members Reduces Prejudice, Practice Improves the Potential for Future Plasticity, How Financial Infidelity Can Affect Your Gray Divorce, Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss and Other Benefits, 4 Reasons Why Infidelity Happens Even in Happy Relationships, Why 'Raising' Your Partner Can End in Relationship Burnout, How Automatic Thoughts Can Hurt a Relationship. It's really interesting to see how this figure of speech finds its way into everyday communication. An elderly woman might talk about her adult children who live in a mobile home. "The Sound of Silence": Song by Simon . The supporting, loving part of our relationship wasnt there anymore, so it was no longer worth putting energy into maintaining a friendship that had changed so much. For some real-world examples of oxymorons in writing, review a few lines from literature and songs. This presents the word silence in a unique way thats particularly expressive. | In an allusion to line 47 of John Miltons Comus (1637), Emerson likens the joy of friendship to a sweet poison of misused wine. The oxymoron sweet poison speaks to Emersons perspective that although friendship can become rapturous, it can also become excessive. When your heart is broken, your mind wants you to remember the pain. We get to share the beautiful aspects of life with people who we love, which can enrich our everyday experiences. Talk to people, exchange contact information, and follow up with them. But pairing it with, a very distinct meaning, comparing it to a loud noise that draws extra attention. Countries engage in civil war or fight holy wars to defend those with blue blood. Both Jim and I were forced to put in more effort when he moved across the country to the East Coast. And if youre putting your time and energy into someone who isnt enriching your life and giving you the support you need, it may be time to reevaluate that friendship. Second, our friends help us through the difficult times. ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score, How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League, Is the ACT easier than the SAT? Writers and poets have used it for centuries as a literary device to describe life's inherent conflicts and incongruities. Placing contrasting words next to each other makes each one stand out more, just like placing contrasting colors together. "100 Awfully Good Examples of Oxymorons." Oxymorons aren't just for classic literature. I must refuse it in order to be worthy to receive it. Overall, as a literary device, oxymoron functions as a means of getting the readers attention through the pairing of opposing or contradictory words. If we prioritize choosing good people who we can trust will work through issues with us, then we can work through anything. But avoid cliques like bittersweet. Quotes tagged as "oxymoron" Showing 1-30 of 31. Instead, they want to be witty and show they can use words to make people laugh. Privacy | Terms of Service, Endpaper from Journeys Through Bookland, Charles Sylvester, 1922, ""crush the sweet poison of misused wine"". The conservative political writer William Buckley, for instance, became famous for quotes like, "An intelligent liberal is an oxymoron.". This phrase demonstrates the various emotions one feels within a friendship: on one hand, it is pleasant and desirable; on the other, it creates a sense of agony and torture. Oxymoron Quotes. Each line uses parallel structure and contrasting ideas. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. This oxymoron is symbolic of the human condition as reflected in the poets mention of our human lot. In addition, this oxymoron supports and complements the balance of oppositions featured in the rest of the poems structure, such as good and bad, without or with, and friends or foes. I urge you to take stock of your friendships and ask yourself if your current friends people build you up and support you, or is the friendship more one-sided? Having friends to support us through hard times can make unimaginably difficult situations seem more tolerable. Nordquist, Richard. The pairing of contradictory terms grabs attention, generates surprise, and creates an impression. Now that many employees have shown high productivity working away from the office, will their bosses now expect them to take working vacations? Oxymoron is used frequently in literature because it can serve so many functions. An oxymoron is a paradoxical phrase or pair of words that contradicts itself. The first criteria we should look for in this partner is someone who is ultimately a good friend to us, meaning that they are kind, positive, loving, and supportive. If something is original,then it is not a copy. Deafening silence is way overdone. In turn, if something is acopy,then it is not original. Now that weve gone over what an oxymoron is, lets take a closer look at four famous oxymoron examples in sentences to better understand how this literary device actually works. Juxtaposition is about placing two things side by side to bring out their differences; its about comparing situations, ideas, emotions, characters, settings, and events. Three ways to respond when someone presents with an all-or-nothing attitude. In 1997, a writer and web developer named Paul Ford walked into a sushi restaurant in midtown Manhattan to meet a group of strangers. One example of a paradox is the following conflicting idea. An oxymoron is a type of juxtaposition, just shorter and focused on two contradictory concepts. A songs amazing melody may make it a fan-favorite. An oxymoron is a rhetorical device that uses two opposite or contradictory terms one after the other in order to project an effect. How Blame and Shame Can Fuel Depression in Rape Victims, Getting More Hugs Is Linked to Fewer Symptoms of Depression, Interacting With Outgroup Members Reduces Prejudice, Practice Improves the Potential for Future Plasticity, How Financial Infidelity Can Affect Your Gray Divorce. ", Oxymorons have been used since the days of the ancient Greek poets. May they inspire you through all your writing adventures. Do Women With More Premarital Partners Get Divorced Less? Despite the similarities, however, oxymorons and paradoxes are two different types of literary devices, each with their own special usage. Thankfully, through the help of a very good therapist, I learned that it was important to enjoy life instead of striving for excellence all of the time. First, they make life more enjoyable. By that measure, no crisis is unimportant or minor. Simply make yourself a big target. This famous quotation from Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet contains an equally famous oxymoron. (see what we did there? A studyfound that women who had more than 10 sexual partners prior to marriage showed an increase in divorce rates. Writers have used them for centuries as a literary device to describe lifes oddities, conflicts, incongruities, heartbreak, and craziness. Here are 67 examples that we think youll, Modern pop culture works hard to attract the attention of the targeted viewer or, In fact, many modern authors are coming up with their own as well, for, These examples might help you use oxymorons to good effect in your, And where did this insane notion of buying loyalty come from? Two of my best friends from high school went down different paths from me. This phrase qualifies as an oxymoron because the words "same" and "difference" have opposite meanings. Robert Puff, Ph.D., is host and producer of the Happiness Podcast, with over 16 million downloads. They also occasionally work well with. In contrast, an oxymoron is a description thats enjoyed in the moment and then forgotten as the reader or listener moves on. Paradox A statement that might at first appear to be contradictory, but that may in fact contain some truth. Awfully good, bittersweet, same difference, and original copy are a few oxymoron examples. Joe Pantoliano 0 Likes Night of the Living Dead: 1968 film. This phrase demonstrates the various emotions one feels within a friendship: on one hand, it is pleasant and desirable; on the other, it creates a sense of agony and torture. Trying to put a positive spin on the companys financial status, the CFO talked about the negative growth in last quarters revenue. The other two oxymorons emphasize the fact that no matter what happensfor example,no matter how sad or defeated the speaker might feelthere willalways be a silver lining in that he'swith the love of his life. Generally, the ideas will come as two separate words placed side by side. And because oxymorons provoke curiosity and interest, they make great titles for books, movies, and television. Today, we are taking a deep dive into the definition of this literary device. If we put them together, we get the very strange concept: sharply dull. While two friends must regard each other with reverence and praise, they must simultaneously see the other as a rival. Showing search results for "Friendship With Oxymoron In It" sorted by relevance. Now that's an Oxymoron. Paradox is another literary device in which a statement features initially contrasting ideas. Friendships are a crucial part of living a fulfilling life. Well also provide you with an extensive list of oxymoronsso you can get a better feel for what oxymorons look and sound like. Deafening silence. Men have long been silent and stoic about their inner lives, but theres every reason for them to open up emotionallyand their partners are helping. You might use an oxymoron to highlight irony, but irony isn't specifically related to a combination of words. However, she lovingly anticipates seeing him again which is a pleasant feeling. Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Idylls of the King, Parting is such sweet sorrow. Not everyone realizes how powerful words can be. Continue with Recommended Cookies. She feels sadness knowing she must say good night to Romeo. Also, this oxymoron is ironic in the context of a poem in which a funeral is the subject. To avoid this, I recommend seeking out someone who is a good friend first, i.e. As a literary device they can serve many functions. Oxymoron examples in pop culture. As a literary device, it is used to make certain word combinations more thought-provoking to stand out. A new study sheds light on this contentious issue. Generally, the ideas will come astwo separate words placed side by side. GTS Meaning: What Does It Mean and Stand For? The strong voice you were born with is still there within you, waiting for you to reconnect with it. So its important to group our romantic partners into this conversation too. Yet, the depth and meaning of friendship certainly go beyond the simple and the common. Oxymorons are often used in everyday conversation and ina breadth of writing, such as literature, poetry, and songwriting. What draws people together as friends may include common interests, history, common values, and equality. Oxymorons arent unique to the English language, either. There are several examples in Romeo and Juliet, like the following quotes. Shakespeare was a master of using oxymoron in his plays and poems. This forced me to seek out other ways to form connections with people. However, if there is no figurative or underlying meaning to the phrase, it shouldnt be used as a proper oxymoron. As we move through life, we find that there are many things out of our control. The most common type of oxymoron is an adjective followed by a noun. An example of a paradox in literature is from George Orwell's Animal Farm. "A lot of people never use their initiative because no-one told them to.". We talk all of the time and see each other several times a year. Grammarly can check your spelling and save you from grammar and punctuation mistakes. A paradox is a statement that technically contradicts itself but remains true nonetheless. An example of dramatic irony comes from the play Oedipus Rex. Browse Library, Teacher Memberships Add a great title, like an oxymoron that represents the poetry of the lyrics, and you have a song thats a beloved classic for years to come. Hollywood hits Night of the Living Dead, True Lies, and Definitely, Maybe are all examples of oxymoron. Throughout history friendship has been a favorite theme for many writers. There are some well-known phrases and quotations that make use of oxymorons. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Like anything in life that is valuable to us, we must work at it and put time and effort into it. Why Use Oxymorons? How many do you? ThoughtCo, Feb. 16, 2021, thoughtco.com/awfully-good-examples-of-oxymorons-1691814. What ACT target score should you be aiming for? Lord Byron, Don Juan: Canto VIII, His honour rooted in dishonour stood, Is it starting to seem like there is an unlimited supply of oxymorons in the English language? Friendship is constant in all other things, Save in the office and affairs of love. Consider these oxymoron examples: I am a deeply superficial person. Andy Warhol, I distinctly remember forgetting that. Clara Barton. On the nightly news, you might hear about an escaped prisoner or a controversy with a foreign national. A toxic friendship can seem like an oxymoron - a friendship is supposed to enrich your life, while anything that is toxic is a source of unhealthiness and unhappiness. Similarly, "choice" implies more than one option, which is contradicted by "only," which implies the opposite. The inherent setup of contradictory words works great for jokes and other witty statements. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. I can resist anything but temptation. As with other rhetorical devices, oxymorons are used for a variety of purposes. Friend is defined as "a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard; a person who gives assistance; patron. There are quite a few in just the first three letters. parting is such sweet sorrow. The following passages highlight what others have said about friendship in the past. It plays with readers' expectations to demonstrate themes or build tension. While they can be effective if used intentionally, clichs can make your writing feel stale and unimaginative. Need more help with this topic? Antithesis isn't just one phrase. "i find nothing more depressing than optimism.". What are Phonemes, Graphemes, and Digraphs? Smiles are rarely associated with pain. and In this poem, Auden utilizes the oxymoron juicy bone. Of course, a bone is generally considered dry and the opposite of juicy. They also occasionally work well with figurative language to compound the power behind certain words. Real friendship is shown in time of troubles, prosperity is full of friendship. An oxymoron is a literary device that juxtaposes contradictory terms. Im the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. The word oxymoron is an ancient Greek word, which translates most closely to something like sharply dull or cleverly stupid. In other words, the oxymoron definition is itself an oxymoron. Today, we are taking a deep dive into the definition of this literary device. Like the Tennyson example above, this oxymoron highlights St. John's dilemma in choosing between love and honor. In the below example, perhaps I could have said "aristocrats" or "high born", which both convey an identical meaning without being clichd. Why use phrases that don't seem to make logical sense? We get to share the beautiful aspects of life with people who we. Guilt is a feeling that you've done (or thought) something wrong and a need to improve things. An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two seemingly contradictory or opposite ideas to create a certain rhetorical or poetic effect and reveal a deeper truth. Go beyond words when generative AI comes to Grammarly, Grammarly helps you communicate confidently. This figure of speech is clever in that utilizing the word real to describe something that is fake actually lends a sense of truth and authenticity to something that is, by nature, untrue and inauthentic. Such a phrase shows that an object can have two different qualities at once, making it a subject for study and analysis. Consider the common oxymorons and think about times they may have been included in conversations you have had. Like a paradox, an oxymoron is whats known as a contradiction in terms, although oxymorons and paradoxes are two different things, as explained below. Friendship wraps itself around the heart like a warm blanket of care. However, it's easily confused with other devices that involve contrast or contradiction. We make the relationship a priority no matter what coast each other is on. You can use dozens of filters and search criteria to find the perfect person for your needs. A defense of online intimacy. Terrific has positive connotations, as in wonderful or extraordinarily great. When used well, your reader or listener will at least smile if not laugh out loud. Whether in writing or speech, using words with oxymoronic meaning can lend a sense of humor, irony, or sarcasm. Men have long been silent and stoic about their inner lives, but theres every reason for them to open up emotionallyand their partners are helping. Oxymorons are not meant to be taken literally. The juicy bone is a contrast in its own phrasing, as well as a contrasting image with the coffin and the implied corpses bones inside. Individuals who nag others tend to do so in relationships where there is close proximity. If you're learning English as a second language, you might be confused by these figures of speech. Know what to expect. For example, oxymoron phrases such as marital bliss, military intelligence,andbusiness ethics,depending on how they are used as figures of speech, can be effective literary devices to indicate irony. Take this sentence, for example: There are two oxymorons in this sentence: "minor crisis" and "only choice." William Shakespeare uses antithesis in this quote from Hamlet: "Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice; take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.". Or if you would prefer to get your master's degree, you'll be a graduate student. "beautiful enemy" Having solid friendships is important for two main reasons. Ever. "Hook-up sex" is mostly void of relationship beyond the physical connection; a form of playing by using each other's bodies. During one of these hikes, I met Jim, one of my best friends to this day. An oxymoron is a figure of speech, usually one or two words, in which seemingly contradictory terms appear side by side. What's the Difference Between Oxymoron and Paradox? Oxymoron can be an excellent tool in creating humor for a reader. Afterward, he writes an entire book, just to memorialize his friend and tell their story. Through the phrase terrific liar, Holden is admitting that he is both a deceptive person and that hes extraordinarily great at being so. We cant choose our parents, our genetics, or control the things that happen in the world around us. The politician gave his deceptively honest opinion. Trust that youll recover and be yourself again. Check out Tutorbase! See in text("Friendship"). In this poem, Lord Byron uses the oxymoron melancholy merriment to describe the feelings and connections between sadness and joy. PostedJuly 26, 2021 Oxymorons are often used poetically as a way of bringing out a fresh meaning in a word or phrase. This stanza, from Lord Tennysons retelling of the tale of King Arthur, usesseveral oxymorons for poetic effect and as a way to emphasize the conundrum that Lancelot, Arthurs most loyal knight and friend, finds himself in. Here are some well-known and recognizable examples of this figure of speech: People are often confused by the difference between oxymoron and paradox. Like. Saying that a picture or a scene is "painfully beautiful" calls attention to the speaker and the object of inquiry. up next, we take a look at oxymoron examples in sentences from literature and pop culture. Oxymoron is also a literary device, but is considered a condensed paradox. Are you Nobody too? (, Ordinary riches can be stolen; real riches cannot. (, Vidia was complicated, two fairies in one, a loyal traitor. (Gail Carson Levine). In fact, certain literary genres are oxymorons themselves. Alex Lickerman, M.D., is a general internist and former Director of Primary Care at the University of Chicago and has been a practicing Buddhist since 1989. Like 'Republican party' or 'airplane food.'. Here's the famous quote about Lancelot: "His honour rooted in dishonour stood, And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true.".
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