75 oxymoron examples that make language fun

Ever heard someone say, "clearly misunderstood" or "deafening silence" and thought, wait... what? That, right there, is an oxymoron. These curious little word pairs pack a punch and often appear in everyday conversations.

What is an oxymoron?

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two seemingly opposite or contradictory words to create a unique meaning. Think "bittersweet" or "original copy." While it may sound like a mistake, oxymorons are clever ways to express complexity in just a word or two.

They’re commonly used in poetry, storytelling, and even advertising, and they’re great tools for building language skills, especially for kids who are just starting to notice wordplay.

Why teach kids oxymorons?

Understanding oxymorons can help kids:

• Build vocabulary

• Think critically about language

• Recognize humor and sarcasm

• Develop creative writing skills

Plus, let’s be real — they’re fun to say.

The ultimate list: 75 oxymoron examples

Below, we've broken these down into categories with example sentences so you can see how each oxymoron might pop up in daily life.

Everyday language oxymorons

1. Only choice — "It was our only choice, so we had to go with it."

2. Awfully good — "That pie was awfully good."

3. Deafening silence — "When I asked the question, the room filled with deafening silence."

4. Passive-aggressive — "Her passive-aggressive comments were hard to miss."

5. Clearly misunderstood — "He clearly misunderstood the instructions."

6. Pretty ugly — "The bruise looked pretty ugly."

7. Seriously funny — "That comedian is seriously funny."

8. Virtual reality — "We played a game in virtual reality."

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9. Bittersweet — "Graduating was bittersweet — happy but a little sad."

10. Working vacation — "It was a working vacation, so I had to take meetings."

11. Jumbo shrimp — "We ordered jumbo shrimp for the appetizer."

12. Same difference — "You're wearing navy and black? Same difference."

13. Living dead — "Zombies are often called the living dead."

14. Small crowd — "A small crowd gathered to watch the magician."

15. Original copy — "We need the original copy for the records."

Ironic oxymorons

16. Act naturally — "He told me to act naturally on camera."

17. Open secret — "It was an open secret that they were dating."

18. Alone together — "We sat alone together in silence."

19. Random order — "The list was printed in a random order."

20. Almost exactly — "It’s almost exactly what I imagined."

21. Definite maybe — "Are you coming? It's a definite maybe."

22. Tight slacks — "These tight slacks don’t give me much room."

23. Found missing — "The painting was found missing from the museum just two days after it was donated."

24. Pretty terrible — "The movie was pretty terrible, honestly."

25. Passive resistance — "They used passive resistance to protest peacefully."

26. Plastic glass — "We drank lemonade out of plastic glass cups."

27. Paid volunteer — “He worked as a paid volunteer for the nonprofit.”

Literary and dramatic oxymorons

28. Cold fire (from Shakespeare) — "She burned with cold fire in her heart."

29. Sweet sorrow (also Shakespeare) — "Parting is such sweet sorrow."

30. Loving hate — "He spoke of her with a kind of loving hate."

31. Cruel kindness — "She used cruel kindness to teach him a lesson."

32. Tragic comedy — "The play was a tragic comedy — both hilarious and heartbreaking."

33. Melancholy joy — "There was a melancholy joy in remembering the past."

34. Loud whisper — "He gave me a loud whisper during the test."

35. Clearly invisible — “The ink was clearly invisible under regular light.”

36. Painfully beautiful — "The song was painfully beautiful."

37. Wise fool — "Only a wise fool would admit they know nothing."

Oxymorons in pop culture and media

38. Original remake — "They released an original remake of the classic film."

39. Reality TV — "Reality TV rarely reflects real life."

40. New classic — "That album is already considered a new classic."

41. Old news — "That scandal is old news by now."

42. Seriously casual — “She showed up in a seriously casual outfit — jeans and a blazer.”

43. Silent scream — "I let out a silent scream of frustration."

44. Passive content — "Some platforms are filled with passive content."

45. Friendly fire — "The damage was caused by friendly fire."

46. Seriously ridiculous — "This rule is seriously ridiculous."

School and homework-related oxymorons

47. Exact estimate — "The contractor gave us an exact estimate."

48. Required option — "This elective is a required option for graduation."

49. Clearly confused — "I was clearly confused by the math problem."

50. True myth — "It’s a true myth in our family lore."

51. Minor crisis — "We had a minor crisis when the printer jammed."

52. Theoretical reality — "The science project was about theoretical reality."

53. Constant variable — "The experiment had a constant variable."

54. Working break — "I took a working break during study hall."

55. Taped live — "The event was taped live and aired the next day."

56. Calculated risk — "Investing in stocks is a calculated risk."

57. Advanced beginner — “He’s in the advanced beginner swim class.”

Family life and parenting oxymorons

58. Organized chaos — "Our mornings are a blur of organized chaos."

59. Controlled mess — "Their room is a controlled mess."

60. Silent tantrum — "She threw a silent tantrum when told no."

61. Scheduled spontaneity — "We planned some scheduled spontaneity for the weekend."

62. Temporary fix — "It’s just a temporary fix until we find a solution."

63. Freezer burn — "The ice cream had freezer burn."

64. Flexible routine — "We stick to a flexible routine at bedtime."

Food and cooking oxymorons

65. Boneless ribs — "We had boneless ribs for dinner."

66. Mild jalapeño — "That mild jalapeño still had a kick."

67. Fresh frozen — "These are fresh frozen vegetables."

68. Icy Hot — "I used an Icy Hot patch on my back."

69. Dry wine — "He prefers a dry wine with dinner."

70. Clearly opaque — "The sauce was clearly opaque."

71. Microwave gourmet — "Tonight’s microwave gourmet meal is mac and cheese."

72. Decaf espresso — "I ordered a decaf espresso to avoid the caffeine."

73. Sweet vinegar — "The dressing had a sweet vinegar flavor."

74. Artificial natural flavor — "It says artificial natural flavor on the label."

75. Plastic silverware — "We’re eating with plastic silverware at the picnic."

Tips for teaching oxymorons to kids

• Play games: Make a matching game where kids pair opposite words.

• Use stories: Point out oxymorons in books or shows.

• Create your own: Ask your child to invent new oxymorons. They might surprise you with their creativity.

• Make it visual: Have them draw what a "silent scream" or "organized chaos" might look like.

Why do they matter beyond wordplay?

Oxymorons encourage kids (and parents!) to think beyond the literal. They teach us that language can bend and stretch to express deeper meaning — a critical skill in reading comprehension, writing, and everyday communication.

Learn more about other literary devices and easy ways to use them:

• Hyperbole examples

• Metaphor examples

• Onomatopoeia examples

Have more fun — and learn more money skills. Greenlight teaches money lessons in engaging, bite-sized challenges that make learning fun for kids. Try Greenlight, one month, risk-free.†

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