Oxymoron

Takeaways

• It is the local phrase-level cousin of paradox.
• It should disclose tension, not merely decorate.
• Strong oxymoron makes the contradiction feel exact.

Overview

Oxymoron brings apparently incompatible words together in a single phrase. It is useful when an experience is best captured by contradiction rather than description.

Examples

• A terrible mercy.
• The room was filled with eloquent silence.