Oxymoron
English Language: AQA GCSE, topic 2.1.7
Oxymoron
An oxymoron is when two contrasting ideas are combined for dramatic effect or to create a comedic effect.
Minor crisis
- There was a minor crisis yesterday.
- In this phrase, the two meanings of the words ‘minor crisis’ combine to give the reader pause – oxymorons are not straightforward; they make your reader think.
- A crisis is a time of severe difficulty, and so it cannot be a ‘minor’ event – it literally cannot be a crisis if it is ‘minor’.
Bittersweet
- He laughed at the bittersweet memory.
- In this phrase, the two meanings of the word ‘bittersweet’ give the reader pause – oxymorons are not straightforward; they make your reader think.
- ‘Bitter’ and ‘sweet’ are antonyms (they have opposite meanings), and so things cannot usually be ‘bitter’ and ‘sweet’ at the same time.
Deafening silence
- They stared at each other in the deafening silence.
- In this phrase, the two meanings of the words ‘deafening’ combine to give the reader pause – oxymorons are not straightforward; they make your reader think. Silence, by definition, has no sound – so it literally cannot deafen anyone because there is no noise.
Test yourself on Oxymoron
Which phrase uses an oxymoron?
Which of these are oxymorons?
Which of these is a common oxymoron?
What is an oxymoron?