Why is “oxymoron” an oxymoron?

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Why is "oxymoron" an oxymoron?

Much like "deafening silence" and "jumbo shrimp," the word "oxymoron" is a bit of an oxymoron in itself.

T he word "oxymoron" may sound like an insult or maybe a cleaning product sold by Billy Mays, but it's neither. It's the name for a figure of speech where contradictory terms appear together (e.g., "minor crisis," "small crowd," "bittersweet"). But the word "oxymoron" also falls into that category, as it's derived from ancient Greek words that contradict each other.

Let's break it down: "Oxymoron" comes from the Greek oxumōron, which combines oxus (meaning "sharp") and mōros ("foolish"). Calling something both sharp and foolish comes across as, well, oxymoronic, thus making the word "oxymoron" a perfect example of what it describes.

But being a walking contradiction never stopped the word from becoming a part of our collective vernacular. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it became popular in the mid-17th century, with people using it to rhetorically emphasize blatantly contradictory phrases. While you may be tempted to call someone an oxymoron as a personal descriptor, doing so wouldn't be by the book. Instead, the term is best reserved for incongruous sets of words.

There are several ways to use variations of "oxymoron." In adjective form it's "oxymoronic," as in the sentence, "That phrase is oxymoronic." As an adverb it's "oxymoronically," as in, "She used those words oxymoronically." But if you want to use it as a verb, you're out of luck, as you'd never say, "I oxymoroned." With all their inherent contradictions, we advise you to use your oxymorons carefully.