Hello, dear readers of the blog site. An oxymoron is type of figure of speech(a phrase usually consisting of two words), which is “all so contradictory” (just like a woman) that it really gets under your skin. No, really. In an oxymoron (such a spelling is acceptable in Russian along with oxymoron - emphasis on the letter Y) seemingly incompatible qualities and essences are combined. This is what makes these figures remarkable.
This term has Greek roots and is a composite of two again contradictory words - sharp (in the sense of smart, i.e. funny) and stupid (in the sense of stupid). That is, we get some kind of witty stupidity, and if we use something worse, then it is nothing more than nonsense or absurdity (the latter is probably best suited).
So what is an oxymoron (sometimes misspelled in queries as an axemoron) if you try to define it? And this, in essence, connection of two contrasting words(often opposite in meaning such as “cold as fire”). Want examples? Yes please, as much as you like.
Below you will find dozens of them, but for now, for starters: “ a virtual reality", "true lies" (remember that movie with Schwartz?), "a stunning fall" (and this is from an advertisement), "deafening silence", "loud silence", "terribly beautiful" (as an option - "terribly beautiful") , “hot ice” (hockey fans will understand), “living dead”, “silent scream”, etc. All these are examples of oxymorons, but more and more of them are appearing, because they are very catchy and attract attention. Why? Let's figure it out.
First of all oxymoron is a way to attract attention, interest, make a person surprised, stop, think... For example, the phrase “long moment” or “complex simplicity” is somewhat disconcerting, stunning (how is this even possible?), causes unusual and unexpected associations, it can even make someone smile (here they wrapped it up!).
Where is the best place to use this? Well, of course, where you need to attract attention with just a few words. That's why oxymorons are very common in book titles(examples - “living corpse”, “hot ice”, “honest thief”, “eloquent silence”, “optimistic tragedy”, “end of eternity”), movie titles (vivid examples- “true lie”, “ordinary miracle”, “old New Year", "back to the future", "tomorrow there was war"), in advertising slogans, poems.
Our brain stumbles over these expressions, begins to process them, actively tries to imagine, awakens right hemisphere responsible for creativity... Literally two words excite the imagination, begin to excite the imagination... But this is exactly what the author of the book and the director of the film (and even the author of the advertising slogan and video) need - they need to awaken your interest in their work.
I'm not even talking about poets - similar figures of speech add charm to poetry and make them unique.
By citing an oxymoron (two opposite and mutually exclusive concepts) in the title of a work (or poetry), they ensure that both words lose their original meaning, but in the end something new, unprecedented is formed in my head, which means it’s alluring and makes you want to read this book, watch the movie, and read the poems and read them endlessly. A wonderful thing, isn't it?
Oxymorons are also often used to create some kind of drama, such as “cruel kindness” or “deafening silence.” It is not without reason that they say that brevity is the sister of talent. And here it turns out very briefly (only two words) and at the same time so succinctly... But when placed side by side, they often give the work an artistic quality brightness, because they have a strong surprise effect and present their readers with a logical paradox, which everyone places for themselves in their own way. And that's the beauty of it...
But this is not the only place where you can find examples. Look, there’s one word that contradicts itself: tragicomedy. Or also from the field of creativity: “a novel in verse.” In general, such phrases are mainly invented by creative people, and therefore they also find their way into their everyday life (for example, painters, stylists and even cooks have the principle of “combining the incongruous,” and this is nothing more than an oxymoron).
Advertisers use oxymorons (clever nonsense, if we translate this word from Greek literally) also because These kinds of phrases are very memorable(literally eat into consciousness). And this applies not only to advertising. You've probably heard the expression "dry water", which is the opposite of official name this chemical compound with a six-story formula (fluoroketone) is easy to wrap your head around. Or “liquid nails” - bright and most importantly understandable.
Would you like more examples from the great and mighty Russian language? There will be a lot of them below, but I’ll still highlight them in a separate line historical examples , which, due to their literal perception, have become a kind of dogma, although in essence they are representatives of the family of oxymorons.
In the not very distant socialist past, we considered the expression “public property” quite common, but, in fact, this phrase is made up of contradictory concepts (public means indivisible, and property means separation, separation). Another example from the same place is “an honorable duty” (in relation to military service) or a little later (in the dashing nineties) the phrase “unpaid salary” was in use, although the word “payment” already means a completed action. In general, there are a lot of examples.
As I mentioned above, there are many examples of the use of this vivid figure of speech in titles works of art . I have already cited some of them, but I will try to expand this list:
Poets in poems very often they use contradictory and paradoxical phrases to enhance the artistic brightness of their works:
And finally, I just want to point out examples of oxymorons, which I like to one degree or another:
Do you have anything to add? Sometimes very striking examples do not come to mind until someone suggests them. I'm waiting for your examples of illogical, but such charming phrases ala oxymoron...
Good luck to you! See you soon on the pages of the blog site
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One of the techniques often used by writers is the oxymoron (or otherwise oxymoron). Let's try to figure out what an oxymoron is in artistic speech, how it helps authors create vivid, memorable phrases.
According to Wikipedia, an oxymoron is a combination of concepts that are opposed to each other.
It is deliberately used to give the text a special stylistic coloring and explanation of an unusually complex situation.
In psychology to explain specific situation The following examples of the use of these stylistic phrases can be used:
Oxymoron has great importance in literature. The fact is that it enhances the perception of the text, which means it arouses interest in reading.
Examples include the following sentences:
Based on these statements, we can say with confidence what an oxymoron is in literature - this is a special method of using words of opposite meaning together. This means that something that logically cannot be combined is combined.
Despite this definition, an oxymoron allows you to achieve an unusual and therefore memorable effect.
Oxymoron examples
In poetry, an oxymoron is a spontaneously generated figure of speech that combines two or more opposite words. This allows the authors to create the most dramatic setting of the picture being described and clearly express the perfection of the intense atmosphere of the text.
Examples of sentences using an oxymoron:
Oxymorons help to “revive” the plot of the text, fill it with deep feelings, emotions and bright epic moments.
This stylistic writing helps the author to attract the attention of readers, as well as make his work more noticeable and popular.
Often the oxymoron appears in the titles of works: “Back to the Future”, “The Stingy Knight” and so on.
Oxymoron - what does it mean? This stylistic phenomenon has no boundaries and has a perfect, independent meaning.
Sometimes it is called an unfair unification of opposing ideas, because it gives the right to exist to something that never existed - creates a perfect paradox.
Important! The stress in the word oxymoron, according to the Dictionary of Russian Verbal Stress, falls on the second syllable: oxymoron.
In his study, Halperin states that this stylistic device is never reproduced exactly in everyday speech, but is always created anew. This is explained by the high originality of oxymorons and their uniqueness.
L. Vvedenskaya notes that this literary stylistic device originates from antonyms, while the nature of the interaction of the components of oxymorons is undoubtedly generalized.
N. Pavlovich clarifies that not all oxymorons have a strong linguistic character. Some of them become oxymorons exclusively in certain contexts. He clearly highlights the fact that often the combination of an oxymoron is made with real absurdity.
This is the most recent look at such an attractive method of speech diversity. He is justified by the fact that the speaker himself covers with absurdity the situation in which he is or which he observes from the outside.
The meaning of the oxymoron function in literature
Highlight following structure thinking when creating oxymorons. Combine the following phenomena:
These series of combined qualities take into account a variety of traditions of understanding phenomena.
After the meaning of the concept of oxymoron and approximate ways of using opposite words together have been clarified, the time has come to consider striking examples from the works of famous writers:
Thanks to oxymorons, customers have an increased desire to buy this or that product, as well as use a wide variety of services.
Oxymoron: interpretation, role in language
So, the joint use of words with opposite meanings (oxymorons) is a kind of road leading to a radical change in the personal meaning of a word or phrase, as a result of which the broadest meaning is created. This poetic phenomenon is widespread in both ancient and modern culture.
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After in the previous article, I talked about such a funny word as Axemora, the meaning and origin of the term, it is time to talk in more detail about the ancestor of this jargon. On our website you can find many answers to your questions on such topics, like street slang, English slang, prison slang and much more. So don't forget to bookmark us. Well, today, as I said above, we will talk about the “founder” of Axemore, the word Oxymoron, which means you can read it a little later.
However, before I continue, I would like to recommend you a couple more interesting publications on science and education. For example, what does Morpheus mean, what is Prerogative, how to understand the word Leviathan, who are the Illuminati, etc.
So let's continue What does Oxymoron mean?? This term came into the Russian language from German " Oxymoron", which was borrowed from the ancient Greek "ὀξύ-μωρον", and is literally translated as "acute stupidity".
Oxymoron- the word denotes an extremely absurd expression consisting of contradictory concepts
Oxymoron- this is a combination of two words, often opposite in meaning, for example “hot as ice”
Usually an oxymoron is used when they want to draw the reader’s attention to some detail. For example, the expression “living corpse” or “cold rage” makes some people fall into a stupor. They wonder if this is even possible? For others, such a statement may evoke unexpected and strange associations, and for some it may make them smile.
In what situations is Oxymoron usually used? Typically, its use is justified in cases where it is necessary to draw attention to your person or work in a few words. Therefore, similar phrases can be found in the titles of various books, films and even theatrical performances.
After your consciousness comes across such dizzying turns of phrase, the brain begins to actively engage in work, trying to imagine the unimaginable, while the right hemisphere, which in humans is responsible for creativity, turns on. But this is precisely why filmmakers or writers come up with such " flashy" headlines to get you interested in their work.
In addition, such figurative thinking is inherent in poets; it is precisely such tricky phrases that give special piquancy to their creations.
Sometimes the word Oxymoron is used to thicken the colors, for example " kind cruelty" or "loud silence". People have long been saying catchphrase- "brevity is the soul of wit". Namely, this feature is inherent in Oxymoron, since it always consists of two words, in short it can’t be any shorter.
In any work, such a phrase gives a certain special prominence and has a certain effect of surprise. Sometimes readers of a poem are faced with a logical paradox, and everyone is free to draw only their own conclusions.
By the way, have you heard of such a word as " tragicomedy"? I'm sure you've heard, there is a clear trace of an oxymoron in it since the word contradicts itself. In general, such expressions are usually created by people with a creative streak, so such words are usually used by stylists, fashionistas, intellectuals, painters and the like.
Among people who work in the field of creating advertising, oxymorons are in great demand, because they are very easy to remember, and they become so ingrained in the individual’s consciousness that he cannot “get rid of” them for weeks.
By the way, did you know that even builders use an oxymoron without even knowing it, for example “liquid nails”, there is a funny liquid that is used for tricks and jokes, the so-called “ dry water", developed in the USA in 2004.
Do you want more examples on the topic? Oxymoron? I have them, moreover, at the end of the article I will make a large selection. Now let's take a retrospective and try to find these funny expressions in the past.
There were a lot of similar phrases in the USSR, although for the most part they did not cause discomfort to anyone, for example, “public property.” Today we are all accustomed to the fact that property can be exclusively personal, but the Soviets had everything differently. After all, if we consider this expression more broadly, we will find out that the word “property” is perfectly suited to such concepts as “separation”, “separation”, and social is indivisible. There is an obvious contradiction here.
Many citizens who were born in the USSR probably remember the phrase " honorable duty", which modern teenagers simply cannot wrap their heads around. A little later, at the height of democracy, an established concept arose as “unpaid wages,” but the word payment implies an action that has already taken place.
Many books use oxymorons in their titles, I’ll give you some interesting examples:
Oxymoron
Oxymoron
OXYMORON (Greek - “sharp stupidity”) is a term of ancient stylistics denoting a deliberate combination of contradictory concepts. Example: “Look, it’s fun for her to be sad / So elegantly naked” (Akhmatova). Special case O. is formed by the figure of contradictio in adjecto, - the combination of a noun with an adjective that has a contrasting meaning: “poor luxury” (Nekrasov).
The figure of O. is characterized by the emphasized inconsistency of the meanings merged into one: in this O. differs both from catachresis (q.v.), where there is no opposition between the contradictory words being connected, and from antithesis (q.v.), where there is no merging of opposing concepts together.
The possibility of realizing the figure of O. and its stylistic significance are based on the traditional nature of the language, on its inherent ability to “denote only the general.” The fusion of contrasting meanings is therefore perceived as the revelation of the contradiction between the name of an object and its essence, between the traditional assessment of the object and its true significance, as the discovery of the contradictions present in the phenomenon, as the transfer of the dynamics of thinking and being. Therefore, some researchers (for example, R. Meyer) not without reason point to O.’s closeness to paradox (see).
The presence of O. as a stylistic figure in itself, of course, does not characterize either the style or the creative method of the writer. True, attempts were made to see in the abundance of O. a typical feature of the romantic and rhetorical styles - styles of eras of special aggravation of social contradictions (R. Meyer). But these attempts can hardly be considered evidence-based. Determining the significance of an image for any stylistic whole is possible, of course, only by analyzing its content and its orientation; only then are significant differences revealed between even verbally close O. - like the above-mentioned O. Nekrasova (“poor luxury”) and Akhmatova (“elegantly naked”). Stylistics.
Literary encyclopedia. - At 11 t.; M.: Publishing House of the Communist Academy, Soviet encyclopedia, Fiction. Edited by V. M. Fritsche, A. V. Lunacharsky. 1929-1939 .
Oxymoron
Oxymoron (Greek ox?mo-ron - witty-stupid), a stylistic device consisting in the selection of a phrase, the direct meanings of the words of which are logically opposed, but at the same time one of the words is metaphor and its indirect meaning does not contradict the meaning of another word.
Look, she it's fun to be sad,
Such elegantly naked.
(A. A. Akhmatova, “Tsarskoe Selo statue”)
Here epithets“fun” and “elegant” are used in a metaphorical sense.
An oxymoron, not only in literature, but also in everyday speech, is perceived as an exquisite figurative device and therefore is often used by authors in the titles of works (“Living Corpse” by L.N. Tolstoy, “Hot Snow” by Yu.V. Bondareva).
Literature and language. Modern illustrated encyclopedia. - M.: Rosman. Edited by prof. Gorkina A.P. 2006 .
oxymoron- (incorrect oxymoron and oxymoron) ... Dictionary of difficulties of pronunciation and stress in modern Russian language
- [gr. oxymoron lit. witty stupid] philol. a figure of speech consisting of a combination of two antonymic concepts, two words that contradict each other in meaning (for example, “ old boy», « White crow", "eloquent silence"). Wed. CATACHRESES... ... Dictionary foreign words Russian language
See Oxymoron... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
Noun, number of synonyms: 3 puns (6) oxymoron (7) humor (32) ASIS Dictionary of Synonyms ... Synonym dictionary
Oxymoron, oxymoron (ancient Greek οξύμωρον “smart stupidity”) a stylistic figure or stylistic error, a combination of words with the opposite meaning (that is, a combination of incompatible things). An oxymoron is characterized by intentional... ... Wikipedia
oxymoron- I. OXYMORONE, OXYMORON a, m. oxymorone m. gr. oxymoron wittily stupid. A stylistic turn in which semantically contrasting words are combined to create an unexpected semantic unity, for example: a living corpse, wretched luxury. SIS 1985. From... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language
See Oxymoron. * * * Oxymoron, see Oxymoron. * * * OXYMORON OXYMORON, see Oxymoron (see OXYMORON) ... encyclopedic Dictionary
oxymoron- (from the Greek oxymoron letters: wittily stupid) stylistic figure, a combination of words with opposite meanings. Category: language. Finely means of expression Synonym: oxymoron Gender: antithesis Other associative connections: antonyms ... Terminological dictionary-thesaurus on literary criticism
Oxymoron, oxymorons, oxymoron, oxymorons, oxymoron, oxymorons, oxymoron, oxymorons, oxymoron, oxymorons, oxymoron, oxymorons (
Oxymoron(ancient Greek οξύμωρον - acute stupidity) - a stylistic figure or a stylistic error - a combination of words with the opposite meaning, that is, a combination of the incongruous. An oxymoron is characterized by the deliberate use of contradiction to create a stylistic effect. From a psychological point of view, an oxymoron is a way of resolving an inexplicable situation.
Sometimes it is born spontaneously, and even takes root for a long time due to its brightness.
Examples of oxymorons:
add by minus
do some good
intelligent bandit
honest swindler
merciful flayer
friends terrarium
pack of comrades
Uncertificated securities
Endless dead end
Cheerful sadness
Hot Snow
Dialectics of tautology
Life-giving euthanasia
Living Dead
Yawning Peaks
Courageous woman
People's oligarchy
Dressy nudity
Unpaid salary
Innovative traditions
An ordinary miracle
Urbanism of nomadic tribes
Oxymoron examples from literature
· An oxymoron is often used intitlesprosaic literary works (« Dead Souls", "The Unbearable Lightness of Being ", "Endless dead end», « End of Eternity"), films (" An ordinary miracle», « With eyes wide shut», « True lies ", " Dead Poets Society", "Back to the Future "),musical groups (Led Zeppelin - “lead airship”, Blind Guardian - “blind guardian”, Orgy of the Righteous).
· Oxymorons are used to describe objects that combine opposite qualities: “masculine woman”, “feminine boy”.
· In the novel "Foucault's Pendulum" the characters of Umberto Ecofantasizing about a “university of comparative irrelevance” with a department of oxymorism. As subjects of study of this department, the author cites “urban studies of nomadic tribes”, “folk oligarchy”, “innovative traditions”, “dialectics of tautology”, etc.
· In the name of the holiday« old New Year» .
It is necessary to distinguish between oxymorons and stylistic combinations of words that characterize different qualities: for example, the phrase “sweet bitterness” is an oxymoron, and “poisonous honey”, “found loss”, “sweet torment” are stylistic combinations.
Oxymoronclassics of literature used it as a stylistic device, and modern writers also use it. An oxymoron allows you to enhance the emotionality of artistic speech and reveal the unity of opposites.
Often authors of literary works and films use an oxymoron in their titles: " Dead Souls"N.V. Gogol, "Living Relics" by I.S. Turgenev, "Living Corpse" by L.N. Tolstoy, "Honest Thief" by F.M. Dostoevsky, "Optimistic Tragedy" by V.V. Vishnevsky, "Rich Beggar" "L.N. Martynov, "Fierce Paradise" by P.G. Antokolsky, "Endless Dead End" by Dmitry Galkovsky, "An Ordinary Miracle" by Evgeny Schwartz, "Eyes Wide Shut" by Arthur Schnitzler (the novel on which the famous film by Stanley Kubrick was based).
And Daria Dontsova has dozens of such titles: “Checkered Zebra”, “Quasimodo in Heels”, “Fig Leaf Haute Couture”, “Cancan at a Wake”, “The Invisible Man in Rhinestones”, “Angel on a Broom”, “Ardent Love” snowman", "Winter summer of spring", "This bitter sweet revenge", "Test kiss", "Beloved bastard", "Viper in syrup", "Hocus Pocus from Vasilisa the Terrible", "Monsters from a good family", "Diamond muddy water”, “Chinese-made British”, “Madame Pompadour’s torn felt boots”, “Grandfather of marriageable age”, “Mistress of the Egyptian mummy”.
Beginning of the form
End of form
Oxymoron is often found in poetry.
And the day has come. Gets up from his bed
Mazepa, this frail sufferer,
This corpse alive , just yesterday
Moaning weakly over the grave.
A. S. Pushkin
I love the lush decay of nature.
A.S. Pushkin
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