Definitions

1. noun

A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms or ideas.

“The phrase ‘jumbo shrimp’ is an example of an oxymoron.”

2. noun

A combination of two words that are opposite in meaning, often used intentionally for rhetorical effect.

“The author used the oxymoron ‘living dead’ to describe the zombies in her novel.”

3. verb

To describe something with an oxymoron.

“The poet oxymorons the concept of war and peace.”