oxymoron is a figure of speech that puts words of opposite meanings side by side, creating a paradox that reinforces the meaning of the combined words.
The word oxymoron comes from the Greek oxymoron, which is formed by the combination of oxys, which means intense or high, and moron, which is silly.
It was very common in classical rhetoric and still works as a stylistic resource for poets and writers, well used when it wants to represent irony or sarcasm, as in "wise ignorance".
But it can also be a language addiction, which leaves the text too far-fetched and not clear to the reader.
Paradox or Oxymoron
Paradox, paradoxism and oxymoron are all synonymous with the same figure of speech, which consists of putting two opposing concepts to create a new meaning in the expression.
The main feature of the oxymoron is paradox, but paradox itself has a broader meaning. It is a concept that belongs to Philosophy, and means everything that goes against logic or what is taken for granted.
Learn more about the concept of paradox.
Examples of Oxymora
- innocent guilt
- Deafening silence
- Distinguished Unknown
- Undead
- Sweet poison
- cruel kindness
Oxymoron and Antithesis
The oxymoron can be considered a kind of antithesis. The antithesis is the opposition of ideas that reinforce the duality in expression, such as love/hate, birth/die. While the oxymoron is the figure of speech that uses isolated words from opposite senses to form a new interpretation.
Like the paradox, the antithesis has a broader meaning, representing a construction of thought very well used by literature and philosophy.
Learn more about the meaning of antithesis.
Oxymoron or Oxymoron
The two written forms, oxymoron or oxymoron, are accepted by the Portuguese language and refer to the same word.
The accent will vary depending on the pronunciation of the word. There are linguists who defend pronunciation from the Greek word, oxymoron, which is a proparoxytone, has the stressed syllable "oxy" and therefore must be stressed. While other Portuguese scholars preferentially follow the Latin pronunciation, in which the stressed syllable is in the "mo", making it an unstressed paroxytone.