The word oxymoron comes from two Greek words:
oxus, meaning dull
moros, meaning sharp
moros, meaning sharp
It is an interesting fact that the word oxymoron is an oxymoron in itself!
Most kids love a good play on words, and oxymorons can provide plenty of humor and reflection on human nature. Here is a collection of oxymorons:
100% chance
absolutely unsure
adult children
advanced beginner
alone together
auto pilot
baby grand piano
bad health
baggy tights
beyond infinity
big sip
clean dirt
clearly ambiguous
clever fool
climb down
close distance
cold sweat
comic tragedy
comparatively unique
constant variable
controlled chaos
crash landing
creative destruction
crisis management
critical acclaim
cruel kindness
current history
curved line
daily special
deafening silence
definite maybe
deliberate mistake
detailed summary
double solitaire
down escalator
dry ice
dull shine
elevated subway
escaped inmate
exact estimate
extensive briefing
fairly accurate
fast idle
fatally injured
fat-free cream cheese
fine mess
floating to the bottom
flood control
found missing
freezer burn
friendly argument
functionally illiterate
fuzzy logic
going nowhere
growing smaller
half dead
hard pillow
harmonious discord
huge shortage
icy hot
ill health
initial results
inside out
instant classic
intense apathy
limited freedom
literal interpretation
living fossil
long sleeve t-shirt
loose knot
loosely packed
loss leader
melted ice
minor catastrophe
minor crisis
minor miracle
modern history
modern tradition
morbid humor
more complete
mud bath
mutual differences
natural artifact
natural makeup
nearly complete
neutral charge
new tradition
normal deviation
nothing much
numb feeling
obviously concealed
oddly appropriation
old news
once again
one choice
one-man band
open circuit
partial success
peace force
peaceful protests
perfect idiot
plastic glasses
plastic silverware
practice test
random order
real potential
required donation
retired worker
rough finish
round edges
rubber cement
running in place
sadly funny
safe bet
slumber party
small crowd
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work party
working vacation
absolutely unsure
adult children
advanced beginner
alone together
auto pilot
baby grand piano
bad health
baggy tights
beyond infinity
big sip
clean dirt
clearly ambiguous
clever fool
climb down
close distance
cold sweat
comic tragedy
comparatively unique
constant variable
controlled chaos
crash landing
creative destruction
crisis management
critical acclaim
cruel kindness
current history
curved line
daily special
deafening silence
definite maybe
deliberate mistake
detailed summary
double solitaire
down escalator
dry ice
dull shine
elevated subway
escaped inmate
exact estimate
extensive briefing
fairly accurate
fast idle
fatally injured
fat-free cream cheese
fine mess
floating to the bottom
flood control
found missing
freezer burn
friendly argument
functionally illiterate
fuzzy logic
going nowhere
growing smaller
half dead
hard pillow
harmonious discord
huge shortage
icy hot
ill health
initial results
inside out
instant classic
intense apathy
limited freedom
literal interpretation
living fossil
long sleeve t-shirt
loose knot
loosely packed
loss leader
melted ice
minor catastrophe
minor crisis
minor miracle
modern history
modern tradition
morbid humor
more complete
mud bath
mutual differences
natural artifact
natural makeup
nearly complete
neutral charge
new tradition
normal deviation
nothing much
numb feeling
obviously concealed
oddly appropriation
old news
once again
one choice
one-man band
open circuit
partial success
peace force
peaceful protests
perfect idiot
plastic glasses
plastic silverware
practice test
random order
real potential
required donation
retired worker
rough finish
round edges
rubber cement
running in place
sadly funny
safe bet
slumber party
small crowd
this page intentionally left blank
work party
working vacation

