Oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory words or phrases are used to produce a rhetorical effect. Some examples have become so familiar that we hardly notice the contradiction, eg jumbo shrimp. The term comes from Greek, with "oxy" meaning "sharp, and "moros"meaning dull or stupid.
| A fine mess A just war A little big a little pregnant A new classic absolutely unsure abundant poverty academic fraternity Academic sorority Accidentally on Purpose accurate estimate accurate horoscope accurate rumors accurate stereotype Act Naturally active retirement actual reenactment acute apathy acute dullness adult children advanced basic advanced beginner Affirmative action affordable housing aging yuppie |
agree to disagree Airline Food airline schedules all alone All natural artificial flavor alltogether separate alone in a crowd almost candid Almost done almost exactly almost pregnant Almost Ready almost safe almost suddenly almost surprised almost totally alone together amateur expert American culture American education American English amicable divorce among the first Amtrak schedule Anarchy Rules! anonymous colleague |
anticipated serendipity anticipating the unanticipated Anti-Missile Missile anxious patient apathetic interest apathetically urged Apple tech support approximate solution approximately equal arms limitation army intelligence arrogant humility Artificial Grass artificial intelligence assistant supervisor astronomically small athletic scholarship auto pilot authentic replica authentic reproduction authoritarian anarchy awfully good awfully nice Awfully pretty |
Back to Top Best B: Black Light
| baby giant baby grand (piano) bad health bad luck Bad Sport balanced insanity balding hair Ball Club baggy tights Band Jocks bankrupt millionaire barely dressed Barenaked Ladies (the rock group) bass guitar battle ready Beaucractic efficiencies benevolent despot benign neglect Benign Tumor better than new beyond infinity big baby big detail big sip big town bigger half |
bingeing on moderation bipartisan cooperation bird dog birth control Bitter Sweet Black Gold (slang for crude oil) black light Black Russian blameless culprit bland spice blind eye blind viewer blue rose Blurry vision boneless ribs books on tape border control boring court jester boring entertainment born dead boxing ring boyish grandpa |
brave politician brave wimp brief speech brief survey briefing bright night bright rain bright shade brilliantly dull budget deficit Bug Fix Bug-Free code bug-free software build down bull riding buried alive burning cold business casual Business Ethics butthead |
Back to Top Best C: Current History
| cafeteria food Calculated Error calculated risk calculated spontaneity California Culture California expressway California style calm storm calm winds camping resort Canadian Bacon canned fresh cardinal sin Caring Republican casual chic casual dress casual formality casual intimacy casual sex casually concerned catfish Cautiously Optimistic cavalier concern center around Central Intelligence Agency centrally-planned economy Certain risk certainly unsure chaotic organization cheap gas cheerful pessimist cheerful undertaker cheerfully cynical cheerfully mournful Cheese Steak Cherokee Pioneer (name of U.S. car) Chicken fajitas childproof chilling fever Chinese chop suey Chocolate 'Nilla Wafers Chow Baby Christian evolutionist Christian gangster Christian militia CIA cooperation civil disobedience civil engineer CIVIL LITIGATION Civil Servant civil service civil strife Civil War civilized warfare classic new homes classic rock & roll |
clean air clean boy clean coal clean dirt clean kill clean litter clean oil clean toilet clear as mud clearly ambiguous clearly confused clearly misunderstood clever fool click the start button to shut down Clinton principles climb down clogged drain close distance cluster bomb co-ed fraternity co-ed sorority cold fever cold hotdog cold sweat cold toast Collective liberty College algebra college education college student colorless kaleidoscope combative apology comedic tragedy Comfortable bra comfortable neckbrace Comfortable tights commercial art committed schedule committee decision committee schedule Common abnormality Common courtesy common sense Common phenomenon communist party comparatively unique Compassionate Conservative compassionate editor Compassionate management Complete separation completed research completed website completely destroyed completely educated completely succinct completely unfinished component parts compulsory volunteers computer jock computer science |
conciliation court concrete pad confident fear Congressional accountability Congressional action Congressional cooperation Congressional Ethics Congressional oversight Congressional responsibility Congressional wisdom conscripted volunteer Conservative Democrat conservative liberal considerate boss consistent discrepancies consistent uncertainties consistently inconsistent conspicuously absent Constant change constant infrequent constant variable constructive ambiguity constructive attitude constructive criticism constructive negativity Continuing resolution contra aid contra assistance controlled enthusiasm controlled chaos controlled skeptic controlled-market economy convenience store conventional wisdom Convergent Evolution corporate conscience Corporate Culture corporate ethics corporate family corporate planning correctional institution council action countless numbers Country Music cowardly lion crash landing Creation science creative destruction criminal cop criminal justice criminal system crisis management critical acclaim cruel kindness cryocaustic current history Curved Line customer satisfaction customer service |
Back to Top Best D: Dodge Ram
| daily special dangerously safe dark day dark light dark star dark victory Dead livestock dead right deaf listener debugged program defensive strike Deficit spending definite maybe degradable plastic deliberate mistake deliberate speed deliberately thoughtless delicious torment demanding patient Democratic Congress democratic leadership democratic machine Department of Interior (responsible for everything outside) Deregulation Law |
designer beer designer jeans desktop publishing detailed summary devilish angel devout atheist diet ice cream different pattern diligent sloth diminished confidence Diminishing growth diminutive giants dim light dimwit Dining hall food direct circumvention disaster preparedness disciplined gluttony discretionary rules disposable income disposable products with a lifetime guarantee distant relative divided unity divorce court Dodge Ram Doing Nothing dollar value domestic bliss domestic cooperation domestic violence |
doorstop double solitaire Doubting believers drawing a blank dress pants Dressy Casual driving pleasure Droning Silence Dry beer dry creek dry humor Dry Ice Dry Lake dry martini dry pond dry snow Dry Wine dull acupuncturists dull knife dull needle dull roar dull shine dying is a part of life dynamic monotone dynamic stability |
Back to Top Best E: Exact Estimate
| easy labor (childbirth) easy payments Easy problem easy task easy to follow directions economic forecast economic reform economic stability educated consumer educated guess educational administration Educational television Educational TV effective compassion elected king elementary calculus elevated subway elite rabble eloquent silence energetic exhaustion enough time enormously small Enquiring minds |
entertaining sermon enthusiastic indifference Environmentalist bumper sticker equally diverse equal justice equal opportunity ergonomic keyboard Escaped inmate eschew obfuscation essential luxury essential service eternal life ethical hackers Ethiopian Feast ethnic cleansing European Community evaporated milk even odds evolutionary fact evolutionary technology Evolutionary Theory exact estimate executive assistant Executive decision |
executive secretary expected serendipity expected surprise Expect the unexpected explicit innuendo explicitly ambiguous express bus express line express mail express ways expressive silence Extended Deadline extensive briefing Extinct Life Form extra oridanary extra money extra time extremely average extremely bland extremely neutral Eyes Wide Shut |
Back to Top Best F: Flat Busted
| faculty cooperation faculty understanding fail safe fair reporting Fair trial Fairly Accurate fairly explicit fairly obvious Fallout shelter false fact false hope Family entertainment family vacation famous-anonymous fan fatale farewell reception Fast BASIC fast food fast idle fast snail fast turtle fast waiter fast walk fast-mail service fatally injured fat-free cream cheese faultily faultless fearful bravery federal budget Female gunman fiber glass Fictional truth Fictional reality fiery ice fighting for peace filing system final conclusion Final version finally again financially strong savings and loan associations and banks fire water |
firm estimate firm maybe firm pillow first annual first conclusions first deadline first string secondary first-strike defense fish farm flat-breasted flat-busted flexible ethics flexible freeze (in economics) Floating to the bottom flood control floppy disk Flurry of inactivity flying fish Foolproof instructions football scholarship foreign national foreign policy continuity Forgotten memories former native former President-for-life Forth programming language forward back FORWARD LATERAL Found missing Free Credit Free election free gift free labor free love free market free prisoner Free purchase Free Rent free society Free trade agreement free with purchase Freezer Burn |
french deodorant French Resistance fresh cheese fresh dried fruit Fresh from Concentrate fresh frozen fresh prunes fresh raisins fresh sour cream fresh yogurt Fresh-frozen freezer burn Fried Ice Cream fried roast Friendly advice friendly argument friendly competitor friendly divorce friendly enemy Friendly fights Friendly Fire friendly suit (legal) friendly takeover friendly war Frightening comfort front end frozen food frugal gourmet full service full-time hobby full vacuum (as in a vacuum that needs a new bag) functional illiterate funky white guy Funny clean joke future history fuzzy logic |
Back to Top Best G: Genuine Fake
| gargantuan lilliputian geniune imitation gentle turbulence gentleman bandit genuine fake genuine imitation genuine(ly) fake genuine-imitation leather giant dwarf gigantic microorganism girly man glacier-like rapidity global village go ahead, back up Golf fashion Gold silverware going nowhere good beating good cigar Good Clean Fun good fast food good garbage |
good grief good junk good lawyer Good Morning good profanity good stuff gourmet fast food gourmet hamburger Gourmet Pizza gourmet sandwich government aid Government assistance government efficiency government integrity government initiative Government Intelligence government organization Government Worker Governmental Efficiency graduate student |
Grand Children Grape Nuts graphic language Graphite irons great depression Greater Cleveland greater evil green blackberries green manufacturing green oranges gregarious recluse grotesque beauty grounded airplane group of individuals growing small guaranteed forecast guest host gummily brittle gunboat diplomacy |
Back to Top Best H: Honest Thief
| hair growth Haitian former President-for-life Jean-Claude Duvalier half dead Half dressed half empty half full half naked half true Halfway done Ham steak handgun safety Happily married happy apathy happy demise happy fault happy Monday happy pessimist hard curve hard cushion hard liquor hard pillow Hard Roll harmless abuse harmless crime harmless lie harmless pollution harmless pornography harmless sin |
harmonious discord hasten slowly Hazardous waste disposal head butt health-care system healthful-city environment healthy chocolate healthy city environment HEALTHY COMPETITION Healthy tan Heartfelt Politics heavy gas heifer bull Helicopter flight Hell’s Angels here and there high ground Higher education highly visible covert operation High-Speed Computer hilarious funeral history of the future Historical Current Event Holistic Healing hollow point holy hell holy land Holy Roman Empire holy war home office home school Homeopathic Medicine |
homework honest bureaucratic snafu honest convict honest crook honest graft honest insurance companies honest liar Honest Politician honest thief hopeful pessimist hopelessly optimistic horribly decent horse fly hospital food hot chili Hot Ice / Icy Hot Hot water heater house boat House Ethics Committee huge market niche huge shortage Human evolution human robot humane robotics humanitarian invasion hypothetical situations Hyundai Excel |
Back to Top Best I: Icy Hot
| IBM compatible IBM-Apple compatible icy hot Idiot Savant idly laborious ignorant professor ill fortune ill health immigration control impatient patient important trivia inarticulate writer Income Tax incomplete cure increasing declines increasingly little incredibly common incredibly dull incredibly real |
Indecent exposure indifferently attentive indirect communication Industrial Park inexpensive car inexpensive house inexpensive medical care Information Superhighway initial conclusion initial results initial retirement innocent bureaucratic blunder Innocent Criminal Insane logic Insanely Normal Insomniac dreams inside out insincere thanks insincere vow Instant Classic instant folk hero intelligent fight |
intelligent news coverage intense apathy intense disinterest interested students interest free loan internal exile Internal Revenue Service intimate murder intimate strangers invisible ink irate patient ironwood |
Back to Top Best J: Jumbo Shrimp
| Job security journalistic integrity joyful trouble jumbo shrimp Jump start |
jungle gym junior senator junk bonds junk food just war justice rehnquist |
Justice Thomas justifiable genocide justifiably paranoid justified rape |
Back to Top Best K: Known-covert operation
| known-covert operation kosher ham |
Back to Top Best L: Living Dead
| Lace-up loafers lady-mud wrestler ladies man laid-back compulsive lame skills lamp shade land developer land development large ant larger half last initial lasting aid least favorite legal ethics legal justice legally drunk legitimate conspiracy legitimate politics lemon lime less is more lesser evil lesser good liberal conservative liberal fundamentalists light armor |
Light-Heavyweight lightweight Light traffic limited immunity limited incursion limited lifetime guarantee Limited Freedom LIMITED NUCLEAR WAR linear curve liquid crystal liquid gas liquid metal liquid natural gas liquid smoke lite beer literal interpretation literary illiterates little big little big horn little bit big little deceptive little giant Live Recording live television Living Dead living end living fossil local long distance local network |
locks on 7-11 stores which are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year LONERS CLUB long and short of it long brief (for lawyers) Long Island Expressway long recess long shorts long sleeve t-shirt loose knot loose tights loquacious librarian loss prevention specialist loud librarian loud whisper Loud silence love-hate relationship lovers' quarrel Low Altitude low insurance rates low tax lower inflation low-fat ice cream low-intensity conflict low-rise loyal opposition lucky stiff luke-warm enthusiasm luxury beer luxury bus LUXURY COMPACT |
Back to Top Best M: Microsoft Works
| macro-microorganism mail delivery major minority male compassion Male Lady Bug man child managed competition Management Action Management science Management Style Management support Mandatory judgment Mandatory Option Mandatory volunteerism mannish woman marijuana initiative marital bliss Marketing strategy Married life martial law mass customization Massively thin master slave maternity fashion mature student maxi thins mean smile meaningful nonsense meaningful-overnight relationship meatless meat Medicaid payment Medium Large |
medium well Melted Ice Mercy Killing Metal Woods (it's a golf thing) metaphysics mexican american micro-mainframe Microsoft Works Middle East Middle East peace midnight sun Mighty Weak mild abrasive mild cigar mild interest mild jalepeno mild mannered reporter Mild PMS mildly psychotic militant pacifist military accountability military intelligence military justice military peace military system mind-expanding drugs mini jumbo minor crisis minor disaster minor miracle misanthropic humanitarian missing present mobile home mobile house |
Mobil™ station |
Back to Top Best N: Noble Savage
| nameless celebrity nasty politeness national medicare program Native American natural artifact natural makeup natural synthetic near future near miss nearly complete Neat mess neat office necessary evil negative gain Negative Growth (economic recession) Negative Impact negative momentum Neolithic (New Stone Age) period Net security neutral charge never again never generalize new and improved |
new antique (New Antiques arriving daily!) new archeology new classic new cliche New Democrat New improved New Mexico new routine new tradition new used cars nice and sleazy Night Light night vision noble savage no comment No-good Do-gooder! noiseless sound noisy mime non-alcoholic beer non-alcoholic wine non-dairy creamer non-denominational church non-fat cream |
non-fat ice cream non-profit organizations non-stick glue non-stick gum non-stick velcro non-stop flight non-toxic bug spray non-working mother normal deviation normal espionage normal human Nothing Much Now, then Nuclear defense Numb feeling numbing sensation |
Back to Top Best O: Organized Mess
| obedient defiance OBJECTIVE MORALITY objective opinion objective parent objective rating obscene art obvious secret Obviously Concealed ocean shore oddly appropriate oddly natural OFFICE PARK old newborn old news one choice |
one hundred percent chance one hundred percent plus one hundred and ten percent one person crew One size fits all once again only choice open lock open minded open secret Open-book test operating system (computer) opposite attraction |
orderly confusion organized anarchy organized chaos organized committee organized confusion organized mess original reprint Original Copy original reproduction outer core oven fried oxymoron oyster crackers |
Back to Top Best P: Paid Volunteer
| paid volunteer painless torture Painless Dentistry paper tablecloth paper towel Paperless Office Parallel connection Park Drive parents without partners PARTIAL CEASE-FIRE partial conclusion partial silence partial success Partially Completed partially destroyed partially organized Partly pregnant passive aggression passive challenge passive confrontation passively aggressive passively tried past prediction patriotic militia peace benefits peace force peace keeper missile peace offensive peace officer peace riot peaceful liberation peaceful protests Peacekeeper Missile Peacekeeping Force PeaceMaker missle peasant king peer pressure perfect idiot perfect misfit perfectly awful Perfectly Normal perfectly ridiculous perfect screw-up permanent guest host permanent substitute |
persistent ambivalence Personal business personal computer personalized form letter pet cat Pet Fish petty cash Peoples' Republic of China pianoforte pigeon's milk pious atheist plain buttered bagels planned exodus planned serendipity planned spontaneity plastic flowers Plastic glasses Plastic Lemons Plastic silverware Plastic straw plastic wood player coach player piano pleasant hell pleasantly confused pleasing pain police protection polite salesman politely insulting political cooperation political ethics Political leadership political promise Political science political solutions political trust politically correct pool table poor intelligence poor rich kid population control positive resistance positively negative positively wrong |
post feminist Post Modern postal efficiency Postal Service pretty ugly Pot luck powdered water practical experience practical joke Practical Parenting Practice Test precision bombing precious junk precision thinking Predictably random preliminary conclusion premeditated spontaneity presently gone presidential promises PRESS RELEASE pretty bad pretty disgusting PREVENTABLE DEATH previous history Priceless junk prison life private citizen private e-mail Private public record problem solved pro-contra Procrastinate now Productivity committee professional wrestling progressing backward Progressive Conservative pronounced silence proprietary standard proud humility psychiatric care public school education Public Schools public secret public service pure 100% orange juice from concentrate pure .999 pure evil pure dirt pure speculation |
Back to Top Best Q: Quiet Riot
| qualified success Quebec Intellectual Questionable answer quick fix quick reboot (computer) Quickly Slowing Down |
quiet hurricanes Quiet loudspeaker quiet noise quiet revolution quiet riot quiet scream |
quiet storm quiet tirade quiet yell |
Back to Top Best R: Rubber Cement
| R & D (research and development) radical center Random Logic (also Fuzzy Logic) random order randomly organized Random pattern rap artist rapid transit Rare steak rarely done rational ravings Reagan Democrat Reagan memoirs real fantasy real magic real phony real polyester real potential Realistic fantasy realistic liberal Realistic schedule realistic simulation reasonable attorney fees reasonable fees reasonable medical fees |
reasonable pharmaceutical costs Rebel Without a Cause recent history Recently new reckless caution recoilless rifle Recorded live re-create recreational burning recycling dump red licorice regional pantheists regular special rehearsed improvisation relative stranger relative truth Religious Tolerance remotely obvious removable sticker renegade lawmakers Representative Democracy required donation Republican Party required elective resident alien resolute ambivalence |
restless sleep Restrained grandparent Retired Worker rich country, poor people rising deficits roaring silence rock opera rogue cop rolling stop roomy airline-coach seats round corner Round edges routine emergency routine surgery Rubber Bones RUBBER CEMENT rules of war running idle running in place rush hour Rustic elegance Russian economy |
Back to Top Best S: Stand Fast
| sad clown sad optimist sad smile sadly amused sadly funny safe and sane fireworks safe bet safe guns safe investment safe sex safe weapons safety hazard same difference Sanitary landfill sanitary napkin sanitary sewer Savings & loan scalding coolness scheduled spontaneity school system school vacation science fiction scientific belief scientific consensus scientific creationism scientific speculation Scottish Danish (actual pastry sold at 7-11) screaming in silence screaming silence scripted spontaneity sea farming seashore second best second initial secret FBI files secret rumor secretarial science security, on-line security sedate sex semi-boneless semiprecious semiprivate semiprofessional semiretired Senate Ethics Committee Senate Intelligence Committee sensitive guy Serial monogamous serious clown serious comic serious fun serious humor seriously funny Service station Severely killed Shabby chic shared monopoly Sharp Curve short distance short survey short tall tales shout in a whisper shouting whispers shyly pompous sight unseen silent alarm silent applause silent barber silent cacophony |
silent noise silent scream silent sound silent speech silent testimony Silent Women silent yell simple calculus simple computers Simple Confusion simple procedure Simple plan simple technology simply superb sincere lie sinfully good single copy Single Diversity (a type of wireless microphone) single pair single thought singular relationship sit up Sitting Up slave master sleep vigorously Sleeper hit slight exaggeration slight hernia slight surprise Slightly Overweight slightly pregnant slightly-used-dental floss Slow and steady rush slow children (as seen on a street sign) slow jet slow jog slow speed slow-motion explosion Slumber Party smart fool small fortune small giant smaller half smart bomb smart dork smart drugs smart windows user smokeless cigarette snow-white tan soaring down sober drunk social hermit social outcast social science social security socialist market economy socialist worker soft porn Soft Rock soft thunder software documentation software manual solid rumor solo concert solo ensemble somewhat awesome somewhat destroyed somewhat functional somewhat legal sound of silence |
sound-filled silence Southern justice Soviet economy Soviet Union Spare rib specialize in everything Specifically vague Spectator sport speed bump speed limit spendthrift splendidly dull spoken thought Squared Circle (wrestling term) stable economic policies Staged accident stand down stand fast standard deviation Start stopping Static Variable State Development State Worker stationary bike Stationary Orbit stealth bomber steel wool still moving still wind stop action straight angle straight hook straight-forward Stripper’s dressing room subterfuge strangely familiar strategic withdrawal strong decaf Structured C Program student athlete student teacher studious students study break study outside stunted growth stupid genius subjective data subtle exaggeration subversive compliance successful suicide sugarless candy suicide victim summer school sun shade sun shower Super Information Highway superette Supporting documentation sure bet Sure fire tip sure guess sweet and sour sweet pickle sweet sorrow sweet tart Swiss Steak Swiss Army Synthetic natural gas systematic chaos systematic disorder systematic variance |
Back to Top Best T: Tame Beast
| taliban intelligence talk show talking mime tame beast tame cat taped live targeted spam tax cut tax return tax simplification tax-free teacher union telepresence Temporary finish Tempory Tax Increase tense calm tentative conclusion terminal initialization terribly enjoyable terribly good terribly nice Terribly Pleased Terrific Head Ache Texas chic Thank God I'm an Atheist Thinking out loud |
The Grateful Dead The Peace War thinking out Thunderous Silence tight slacks Timeless Moment tiny mountain tiny tank to infinity and beyond toll free tomorrow today tomorrows' headlines today top floor totalitarian democracy totally partial tough love traditionally radical traffic flow tragic comedy train schedule tranquil fiesta transient stability traumatic bonding |
tremendously small troubled paradise true counterfeit true fiction true gossip true illusion true lies true story truth in advertising Truthful tabloids turbo diesel turkey ham turned up missing twelve-ounce pound cake |
Back to Top Best U: Uninvited Guest
| UN designated safe haven unacceptable solution Unbelievably real unbiased journalism unbiased news report Unbiased Opinion unbiased predisposition uncommonly common uncommonly normal uncontested divorce uncrowned king under abundance understanding editors understanding unix Undocumented Report unfunny joke |
unhappily married uninvited guest Union workers United Anarchist United Nations university funding Unique uniforms unknown identity unknown knowledge upcoming downtrend upside down unrepeatable pleonasm unsalted saltines unsellable stock Unsolved Mystery unspoken suggestion |
unsung hero unthaw unusual routine Unwanted Baby Unwelcome Greetings unwelcome recess useful oxymoron user friendly usually unusual usually spectacular |
Back to Top Top V: Victimless Crime
| Valuable junk Vanilla Fudge veiled accusation Vegetarian meatball venial sin Ventura Freeway |
vices of our virtues victimless crime vigorously ignoring violent agreement Virgin Birth Virtual life virtual reality |
virtually pain-free voluntary taxes voodoo science |
Back to Top Best W: Working vacation
|
Waking Dream |
white night white rose whole half whole hemisphere whole part whole piece Whole percentage wholesome Wicked Good wickedly good Wilderness management Willful negligence Wind Burn Windows NT (New Technology) Windows XP (Extra Performance) Wireless cable wisdom of Congress wise fool |
withheld contribution wordless book work party working breakfast working hobby working lunch working vacation |
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| xenophobic foreign secretary |
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| young adult young sixty |
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| zero deficit |
