Wordsmith.org: the magic of words


A.Word.A.Day

About | Media | Search | Contact  


Home

Today's Word

Subscribe

Archives



Apr 7, 2017
This week’s theme
Words with irregular plurals

This week’s words
chrysalis
imago
tour de force
bourgeois
oxymoron

Canyon Sin Nombre
Canyon Sin Nombre
Photo: Jim Doss

This week’s comments
AWADmail 771

Next week’s theme
Eponyms from Greek mythology
Bookmark and Share Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Bookmark and Share
A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garg

oxymoron

PRONUNCIATION:
(ok-see-MOR-on, -mor-)
plural oxymorons or oxymora (ok-see-MOR-uh, -mor-uh)

MEANING:
noun: A figure of speech in which two contradictory terms appear together for emphasis, for example, “deafening silence”.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Greek oxymoron, from neuter of oxymoros (sharp dull), from oxys (sharp) + moros (dull). The word moron comes from the same root. Earliest documented use: 1656.

USAGE:
“Karen ... stood regal and slim, statuesque even, or just plain beautiful, oxymoron notwithstanding.”
Nicholas Aharon Boggioni; The Fundamentalist’s Daughter; Xlibris; 2016.

See more usage examples of oxymoron in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love. -William Wordsworth, poet (7 Apr 1770-1850)

We need your help

Help us continue to spread the magic of words to readers everywhere

Donate

Subscriber Services
Awards | Stats | Links | Privacy Policy
Contribute | Advertise

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith