Huge List of Oxymorons

Huge List of Oxymorons

An oxymoron is a consecutive set of words that have contradictory meanings. In many cases they are obvious. However, as there are so many, you might not catch them all. Take a look at which ones you have used in conversation:

One Word Oxymorons

anyone audiovisual backside ballpoint barnyard basketball bedrock begone bittersweet blindsight bridegroom butthead checkpoint courtroom cowboy deadbeat deadbolt earthstar everyone extraordinary fail-safe featherweight firewater freeload fruitcake getaway godson highland hometown homework houseboat ill-humor ironwood kickstand kingpin knothole know-how

laboratory (Labor-a-Tory) lay-up lend-lease lightweight lonesome man-child monopoly mythological nevermore nightlight nook (no-ok) offset outcome Oxymoron penknife pianoforte preposterous roadblock rootcap seashore sleepwalk soapstone someone sophomore speechwriting spendthrift spitfire storehouse strawberry sunshade supernatural toecap typewrite warlord watercolor weekday whenever wholesome

Two Word Oxymorons

act natural action plan additional reduction adult children all alone almost exactly Alone together altogether separate another one anxious patient apparently invisible assistant principal assisted suicide athletic scholarship Audience viewing awfully good baby grand bad goods backdoor front ball club ball diamond bar entrance barely dressed basic acid bed canopy behave badly benevolent despot benign neglect big baby black light blind spot Blue Blood boxing ring brief longing bring away building wrecking bus station calm breeze can’t can cardinal sin cheap jewelry cherry tomato citizen soldier civil war class clown classic novel clean dirt clearly confused climb down cold sweat come away conspicuous absence constant change constructive criticism conventional wisdom cost savings crack fix crash landing crazy sound criminal justice critical praise crowded room cruel joke cute dog damaged goods dark spot (i.e., spotlight) deafening silence death benefits defensive attack definite possibility deliberate mistake devilishly good diamond ring disaster relief divorce court doing nothing don’t do dotted line double solitaire down escalator drag race dress pants driving stance (in golf) dry martini dull roar easy task earth angel elevated subway emotional reasoning empty lots escaped prisoner essentially useless even odds executive secretary extensive briefing extinct life fairly dark fairly nasty far closer farewell reception fast food fast idle faulty logic faulty sound (e.g. hissing) feeling numb few more, a final draft finally begun find missing fine mess firm handshake fish farm fix breakfast flat busted flexible freeze flood control flying boat forced choice forgotten memories foreign national forward lateral free press free trade free will freezer burn fresh frozen front end funny business fuzzy logic gentleman bandit genuine imitation get taken global village good grief graduate student graphic language great lack (of) green orange ground up growing smaller guest host half empty hard plastic hard water hardly easy head butt high ground highly depressed historical fiction holy war home office homeless shelter hopelessly optimistic Horror comics hot ice human nature ice water idiot savant idle gossip idle work ill health income tax increasing losses incredibly real industrial park infinite in number initial results inside out invisible ink irate patient jet lag job hunting juice bar jumbo shrimp jump seat jungle gym lame effort large minority largely inconsequential larger half lead balloon lean pork least favorite legal brief left rights (e.g. to protest) leisure industry light shade liquid crystal little more little lot (real estate) live recording living fossil local celebrity long briefs loose tights

loosely packed loss leader loyal opposition major general mandatory option middle initial mighty weak mild enthusiasm minor disaster missing here mobile home modern history morbid humor mud bath multiple dividends muted sound mutually exclusive narrow range nasty fine natural actor nature preserve needless requirement negative growth neutral color never again never ever new age new tradition non-dairy creamer non-working mother none other normal deviation nothing much Now then numb feeling number one objective opinion obstructed view occupied space odd evening oddly familiar old boy old news once again one another one pair one-man band only choice open bar open circuit open house open secret ordinary event original copy outer core paid volunteer paper tablecloth park drive partially completed passive resistance peace offensive permanent change personal business petty officer plastic glass Play dead plea bargain political party positively eutral practical joke press release pretty ugly primary conclusion primitive technology private citizen progressively worse public privy qualitative data quantum leap questionable answer quiet rage quite unlikely raised sink random order real potential reality show really fake recorded live regular specials relative stranger religious tolerance required elective resident alien restless sleep retired worker riot control rising deficit rock garden rolling stop round flat (i.e. apartment) rough finish rubber cement sad clown safety hazard same difference sanitary sewer scale down scented deodorant Science Fiction second best serious play (e.g. Hamlet) set off ship’s hold shock therapy shoot blanks sight unseen short distance silent alarm simply brilliant sit up skinny broad slave wages sleep walk slow speed slumber party small army small wonder soft rock solid line solo concert some more sound asleep spectator sport spoiled goods sports scholarship square beads stand down stands seating (i.e. bleachers) steady vibration stealth bomber still life still shaking stop action store display straight listing strange friend strangely familiar strawberry blond student teacher studio apartment sugarless candy sure bet sweet pickle sweet tart synthetic natural gas talk show talking pictures taped live tax return terribly nice thick film tick tock tight slacks tip toe toll free top floor tough love tragic comedy travel lodge travel stop true story truly false turkey ham unacceptable solution unbiased opinion uncontested race uncrowned king uninvited guest unknown identity unsung hero unusual routine utter silence vacuum filled very little virtual reality war games watch noise water vapor well-known secret white chocolate winged feet wooden nickel work party working vacation young adult