Definition of oxymoron
: a combination of contradictory or incongruous words (such as cruel kindness)
broadly
: something (such as a concept) that is made up of contradictory or incongruous elements
Buying Guide
Check out the 11 best games for word lovers from our Reviews team.
Test Your Vocabulary
Words Named After People
-
- Namesake of the leotard, Jules Léotard had what profession?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share oxymoron
Time Traveler for oxymoron
The first known use of oxymoron was in 1657
See more words from the same year