Top 50 Oxymora: A List for Writers

In my ongoing posts about writing and the English language, here is another handout I shared with my students at the University of Illinois during my tenure there as a professor and dean. I hope you will find it useful.

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two seemingly contradictory or opposite ideas to create a particular rhetorical or poetic effect and reveal a more profound truth. Generally, the ideas will come as two separate words placed side by side. The most common type of oxymoron is an adjective followed by a noun.

Oxymora (that’s the plural of oxymoron) are sometimes useful literary devices for writers. They are okay to use occasionally, but don’t overdo it! If you have read Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet you might recall this line which is a classic example of using an oxymoron in literature:

“Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow
That I shall say good night till it be morrow.”

 Here is a list I used to give my journalism students at the University of Illinois. It is by no means exhaustive. This list is by no means comprehensive or complete. There are many more floating around out there. Enjoy!

Orderly confusionMinor crisisConfirmed rumorDeafening silenceKnown secretAct naturallyFound missingResident alienAdvanced BASICGenuine imitationAirline FoodGood griefSame differenceAlmost exactlyGovernment organizationSanitary landfillAlone togetherLegally drunkSilent screamLiving deadSmall crowdBusiness ethicsSoft rockButt-HeadMilitary IntelligenceSoftware documentationNew classicSweet sorrowChildproof“Now, then …”Synthetic natural gasPassive aggressionTaped liveClearly misunderstoodPeace forceExtinct LifeTemporary tax increaseComputer jockPlastic glassesTerribly pleasedComputer securityPolitical scienceTight slacksDefinite maybePretty uglyTwelve-ounce pound cakeDiet ice creamWorking vacationExact estimateMicrosoft Works