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are oxymorons ironic

by Oceane Keeling II Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

In speech, oxymorons can lend a sense of humor, irony, or sarcasm . The word "oxymoron" is itself oxymoronic, which is to say contradictory. The word is derived from two ancient Greek words: oxys, which means "sharp," and moronos, which means "dull" or "stupid."

Writers and poets have used it for centuries as a literary device to describe life's inherent conflicts and incongruities. In speech, oxymorons can lend a sense of humor, irony, or sarcasm.Mar 6, 2020

Full Answer

What is the difference between irony and an oxymoron?

  • Countries engage in civil war or fight holy wars to defend those with blue blood.
  • On the nightly news, you might hear about an escaped prisoner or a controversy with a foreign national.
  • Perhaps a soldier was killed by friendly fire. ...
  • As a kid, you might have attended a slumber party where you played practical jokes on your friends.

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What are the similarities of the irony paradox and Oxymoron?

is that oxymoron is oxymoron ( figure of speech) while irony is a statement that, when taken in context, may actually mean something different from, or the opposite of, what is written literally; the use of words expressing something other than their literal intention, often in a humorous context.

What is the difference between sarcasm, irony and Oxymoron?

What is the difference between oxymoron and irony? Irony is a literary device that relies on the difference between expectation and outcome. An oxymoron is a figure of speech where two words of opposite meaning are used together.

What are the 5 example of irony?

  • The Wizard of Oz (L. ...
  • Time Enough at Last (episode of “The Twilight Zone”): the main character, who yearns to be left alone to read, survives an apocalyptic explosion but breaks his reading glasses
  • Oedipus Rex (Sophocles): Oedipus is searching for a murderer who, it turns out, is himself

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What's the difference between ironic and oxymoron?

is that oxymoron is oxymoron (figure of speech) while irony is a statement that, when taken in context, may actually mean something different from, or the opposite of, what is written literally; the use of words expressing something other than their literal intention, often in a humorous context.

What is oxymoron paradox irony?

Although both a paradox and an oxymoron involve contradictions, they have an important difference. A paradox is a rhetorical device or a self-contradictory statement that can actually be true. While an oxymoron is a figure of speech that pairs two opposing words.

Is oxymoron a satire?

The Oxymoron is a student satirical magazine published anonymously by and for students of Oxford University.

Is an oxymoron a paradox?

An oxymoron is the conjunction of two words with meanings that contradict each other. While a paradox is the opposition of ideas or themes, an oxymoron is a contradiction merely between words. An example of oxymoron in literature can be found in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Are paradoxes ironic?

Irony refers to situations or dialogues where the apparent meaning of a statement or action is inconsistent with its intended meaning, but paradox refers to the juxtaposition of a set of seemingly contradictory concepts that reveal a hidden truth. Thus, this is the main difference between irony and paradox.

What are the 4 types of irony?

There are a number of different types of irony, each meaning something a little different.Dramatic irony. Also known as tragic irony, this is when a writer lets their reader know something that a character does not. ... Comic irony. ... Situational irony. ... Verbal irony.

How does an oxymoron effect the reader?

Overall, as a literary device, oxymoron functions as a means of getting the reader's attention through the pairing of opposing or contradictory words. Reading these words together will often cause a reader to pause and think about what the writer is trying to convey.

What is the purpose of oxymoron?

An oxymoron is a figure of speech where two words of opposed or contradictory meaning are used together to create emphasis. While some oxymorons are created by accident – such as “small crowd” – sometimes they are used deliberately to draw attention to something or to create drama for the reader or listener.

Is an oxymoron figurative language?

The oxymoron is a commonly used figurative language device in which two contradictory words are placed side by side. Coming from the original Greek oxy, which means sharp and moron, which means dull, this is rather appropriate.

Are oxymorons grammatically incorrect?

While grammatically objectionable, oxymorons are both useful and common. Humans are creative creatures, and so while juxtaposing two contradictory elements can cause confusion, it more commonly leads to a hybrid concept.

Is awfully good an oxymoron?

If you stop to think about it, two of our more common oxymorons are “terribly nice” and “awfully good.” Never use “awfully good” when praising someone's cooking, and never use “terribly nice” to describe a kiss.

Is Jumbo shrimp an oxymoron?

An oxymoron involves words used to describe an idea. Jumbo shrimp is probably the example of an oxymoron used most frequently. There are many examples, however. A few include: virtual reality, old news, act naturally, almost perfect, clearly misunderstood, and only choice.

What Is an Oxymoron?

An oxymoron is a combination of words, typically just two words, with contradictory meanings. Even though the two words are often antonyms (words with opposite meanings), they don't negate each other.

What Are Examples of Oxymorons?

There are many oxymoron examples that you might come across in your everyday life. If you enjoy seafood, you might have tried jumbo shrimp.

What's the Difference Between Oxymoron and Paradox?

An oxymoron uses opposing or contradictory terms to create a figure of speech.

What's the Difference Between Oxymoron and Irony?

Irony is the difference between what a reader thinks should happen in a situation versus what is actually happening.

What's the Difference Between Oxymoron and Antithesis?

An antithesis also uses opposing words or phrases like an oxymoron, but it plays with syntax to create emphasis on an idea.

What Are Some Examples of Oxymorons in Literature?

Oxymoron is used frequently in literature because it can serve so many functions. In fact, certain literary genres are oxymorons themselves.

What Are Some Examples of Oxymorons in Pop Culture?

Artist Andy Warhol once described himself as a deeply superficial person. Technically, one cannot be deep and superficial, as these words are opposites.

What is an oxymoron?

An oxymoron is a rhetorical expression in which contradictory terms are combined such as mild interest, detailed outline, plastic glasses, only choice, minor disaster, civil war, pretty ugly, and justifiably paranoid. They are often quite amusing because the terms are so incompatible or mismatched.

What are the three types of irony?

Irony ‘“ there are three main types of irony: verbal, literary, and situational. Verbal ‘“ is perhaps the easiest of the three to recognize. It occurs when a speaker says one thing that means another or refers to a literal meaning that actually has a deeper meaning that is incongruous with the surface.

What is the difference between paradox and irony?

Irony refers to real or literary situations or conversations where the evident meaning of a statement or action is incongruous with its intended meaning. Paradox refers to a statement that defies intuition as it leads to seemingly irreconcilable contradictions. So the basic difference b/w irony and paradox are.

What is the paradox of matter under certai?

A less well known paradox, but one that is physically real, is the behavior of matter under certai. Continue Reading. In general, the oxymoron refers to word combinations which are contradictory, often in an amusing way. "Military Intelligence," is often cited, "jumbo shrimp" is another; "big baby" yet another.

What is irony in speech?

Answer: Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. It may also be a situation that may end up in quite a different way than what is generally anticipated.

What is the irony of Alanis Morisette's song?

However, irony leaped into the spotlight of popular culture with Alanis Morisette’s song ‘Ironic.’. This song sometimes employed situational irony, but often just referred to unfortunate events such as a man who is afraid to fly and when he finally gets on a plane it crashes.

Is Oxymoron a contrast?

Oxymoron too is a form of contrast. Here the contrast is sharper and the contradictory words are put as close together as possible. It is a kind of condensed paradox. 8 clever moves when you have $1,000 in the bank. We've put together a list of 8 money apps to get you on the path towards a bright financial future.

What is an Oxymoron?

An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which contradictory words are put together in an unexpected way.

67 Oxymoron Examples

There are many great oxymorons out there, and more are discovered and invented every day. Here are 67 examples that we think you’ll love.

Awfully Good Oxymoron Examples for Your Writing

That’s over five dozen oxymoron examples in several different formats to inspire fresh ways to hook your readers and keep their interest.

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