OXYMORON

1
No this isnt an insult. An oxymoron isnt
something you would call your little brother. It
is a word that represents something more.
An OXYMORON is a figure of speech that places
opposite meaning words side by side for
descriptive purposes.
OXYMORON
Look at the following phrases Genuine
imitation How can something be real and fake?
Jumbo Shrimp How can something be large and
small? Slightly pregnant You are pregnant or
you arent.
2
The poem below is an excellent example of an
oxymoron. Can you name a few that you see/hear?
One bright morning, in the middle of the night,
Two dead soldiers got up to
fight.
Back to back, they faced each other,
Drew their swords and
shot each other.
A deaf policeman heard the noise,
and came and shot those
two dead boys. If you
dont believe this tale is true,
just ask the blind man, he
saw it too!
Or the phrase I see, said the blind man to the
deaf man.
3
Choose Your Own Assignment!
You may choose to work with a partner (ONE other
person) and complete either number one OR number
two. (You only need to choose ONE of the
assignments to complete.)
1. Take 15 different oxymorons from the sheet
and write each one in a sentence.
2. Write a short story (paragraph) hiding 10
oxymorons. Have your classmates attempt to
identify the oxymorons you used.
4
Advanced beginner A little big A little pregnant
Alone together Altogether separate Almost
exactly Anarchy rules Baby grand piano Bad
health Better than new Bitter sweet Black
light Blameless culprit Blind sighted Boneless
ribs Clear as mud.
Clearly misunderstood Clever fool Dangerously
safe Deafening silence Definite maybe Almost
positive Deliberate mistake Essential luxury
Even odds Exact estimate Expect the
unexpected Fresh frozen Freezer burn Friendly
argument Go ahead, back up Going nowhere
Good grief Hot chili Harmless lie Incredibly dull
Jumbo shrimp Loose tights Loud whisper Mighty
weak Mild abrasive Nothing much Numb
feeling Obvious secret Plastic silverware Pretty
ugly Removable sticker Resident alien
Running idle Seriously funny Sight
unseen Silent scream Small crowd Slow
speed To infinity and beyond Upside
down Victimless crime Wireless cable Working
vacation