The word “
paradox
” derives from the Greek word “paradoxons,” meaning contrary to expectation. In literature, a paradox is a literary device that contradicts itself but contains a plausible kernel of truth.
What are contradictory phrases called?
An oxymoron
is two or more words that contradict themselves (e.g. “poor little rich girl” or “living dead”). Sometimes an oxymoron is intended to be humorous (e.g. “military intelligence” or “rap music”). A paradox is a phrase that contradicts itself (e.g. “A Cretan says ‘All Cretans are liars’”).
What is a phrase that contradicts itself?
Use
oxymoron
to refer to a word or phrase that contradicts itself, usually to create some rhetorical effect.
Can a phrase be an oxymoron?
The defining characteristic of an oxymoron is combining words or phrases
that have opposite meanings
. … A common oxymoron is the phrase “the same difference.” This phrase qualifies as an oxymoron because the words “same” and “difference” have opposite meanings.
What is the opposite of an oxymoron?
4. The opposite of oxymoron would be two words that are perfectly compatible with each other, not identical. – JeffSahol. Jan 30 ’12 at 2:49. Etymologically speaking, the opposite would be
a moroxyon
.
Why does Juliet use so many oxymorons?
These oxymorons serve to
illustrate Juliet’s inner conflict
. She is madly in love with Romeo, but she is angry and shocked that he killed someone whom she cares about. She has no notion of the context of the fight, either (that Romeo killed Tybalt to avenge Mercutio), so confusion also plays a part in her reaction.
What is oxymoron give 5 examples?
Oxymorons like “
seriously funny,” “original copy,” “plastic glasses
,” and “clearly confused” juxtapose opposing words next to one another, but their ability to make sense despite their opposing forces adds wit to writing. Reveal a deeper meaning. The dichotomy of an oxymoron often expresses a complex idea.
How do you identify a paradox?
- Here are the rules: Ignore all rules.
- The second sentence is false. The first sentence is true.
- I only message those who do not message.
What is a paradox example?
An example of a paradox is
“Waking is dreaming”
. Chinnapong / Getty Images. Updated January 20, 2020. A paradox is a figure of speech in which a statement appears to contradict itself. This type of statement can be described as paradoxical.
What is the opposite of a paradox?
paradox. Antonyms:
precept
, proposition, axiom, truism, postulate. Synonyms: contradiction, enigma, mystery, absurdity, ambiguity.
What is literary paradox?
In literature, a paradox is
a literary device that contradicts itself but contains a plausible kernel of truth
. … An oxymoron is the conjunction of two words with meanings that contradict each other. While a paradox is the opposition of ideas or themes, an oxymoron is a contradiction merely between words.
Is awfully nice an oxymoron?
My dictionary defines today’s oxymoron as a “combination of contradictory or incongruous words.” … If you stop to think about it, two of our more common oxymorons are “terribly nice” and “awfully good.”
Never use
“awfully good” when praising someone’s cooking, and never use “terribly nice” to describe a kiss.
What is similar to an oxymoron?
| paradox contradiction | juxtaposition koan | mistake nonsense | opposite quandary | reverse riddle |
|---|
Is Cruel to Be Kind an oxymoron?
What is an
oxymoron
? An oxymoron is also a noun that’s defined as “a figure of speech by which a locution produces an incongruous, seemingly self-contradictory effect, as in ‘cruel kindness’ or ‘to make haste slowly. ‘” So when contradictory or opposing words are combined, that expression is an oxymoron.
What is difference between paradox and oxymoron?
While Paradox is a statement or a group of statements, oxymoron is a
combination of two contradictory terms
. Paradox is apparently a true statement leads to a situation that defies intuition. Paradox consists of a whole sentence. Oxymoron on the other hand comes with only two words that contradicts itself.
What is an example of tautology?
Tautology is the use of different words to say the same thing twice in the same statement. ‘
The money should be adequate enough
‘ is an example of tautology.
