Other forms: oxymorons
An oxymoron is a phrase that joins two words that contradict each other. A deliberate oxymoron, bittersweet is an oxymoron, the usual oxymoron.
The classic examples are deafening silence and bittersweet, where the contradiction is the point. The word is itself one: the Greek means sharp-dull, so an oxymoron is an oxymoron.
1nounoxymoronA phrase that joins two words that contradict each other.
“According to my son, "fun homework" is an oxymoron.”
oxymoron is a phrase.
Greek oxymoros joins oxys, sharp, and moros, dull or foolish; the word is itself an oxymoron.
Ancient Greek
ὀξύμωρος
Latin
oxymōrum
English, today
oxymoron
Built from
17th century, noun use of 5th century Latin oxymōrum, neut. nom. form of oxymōrus, from Ancient Greek ὀξύμωρος, compound of ὀξύς (“sharp, keen, pointed”) (English oxy-, as in oxygen) + μωρός (“dull, stupid, foolish”) (English moron (“stupid person”)). Literally "sharp-dull", "keen-stupid", or "pointed-foolish" – itself an oxymoron, hence autological; compare sophomore literally “wise fool”, influenced by similar analysis. The compound form ὀξύμωρον is not found in the extant Ancient Greek sources.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA