OXYMORONS, FROM ANNIES ANNEX

Oxymoron (oxy’ = sharp +‘moros’ = dull)

Oxymorons are the words or phrases formed when you place two ordinarily contradictory terms next to each other. You can find many pages featuring oxymorons on the Internet. Some oxymorons are used as a joke ('happily married', 'military intelligence'). Listed below are some examples:



A-B-C-D
a little pregnant
a new classic
absolutely unsure
abundant poverty
accidentally on purpose
accurate estimate
act naturally
active retirement
actual reenactment
acute dullness
advanced basic
advanced beginner airline food
all alone
all natural artificial flavor
alone in a crowd
alone together
almost done
almost pregnant
almost ready
almost safe
almost suddenly
almost surprised
almost totally amicable divorce
among the first
anarchy rules!
anonymous colleague
anticipated serendipity
anxious patient
approximate solution
approximately equal
army intelligence
authentic replica
authentic reproduction
awfully good

black light
baggy tights
barely dressed
bureaucratic efficiencies
benevolent despot
beyond infinity big detail
bigger half
bird dog
bitter sweet
blind eye
boneless ribs books on tape
border control
boring entertainment
build down
burning cold
business ethics

cafeteria food
calculated risk
calm winds
camping resort
cardinal sin
casual chic
casual intimacy
casually concerned
cavalier concern
center around
certain risk
certainly unsure
chaotic organization
chilling fever
civil disobedience
civil war
clear as mud
clearly ambiguous
clearly confused
climb down
clogged drain close distance
cold sweat
commercial art
comparatively unique
compassionate management
complete separation
completed research
completely destroyed
completely unfinished
computer jock
concrete pad
confident fear
conservative liberal
considerate boss
consistent discrepancies
consistent uncertainties
consistently inconsistent
conspicuously absent
constant change
constant variable
constructive attitude constructive criticism
constructive negativity
continuing resolution
contra aid
contra assistance
controlled enthusiasm
controlled chaos
corporate conscience
corporate ethics
countless numbers
country music
cowardly lion
crash landing
creation science
criminal justice
crisis management
critical acclaim
cruel kindness
current history
curved line
customer service

daily special
dark day
dark light
dark star
dead livestock
dead right
deafening silence
debugged program
defensive strike
deficit spending
definite maybe
deliberate mistake
deliberately thoughtless
delicious torment
demanding patient Department of Interior
(responsible for everything outside)
deregulation law
detailed summary
devilish angel
devout atheist
diet ice cream
different pattern
diligent sloth
diminished confidence
diminishing growth
dim light
dimwit
direct circumvention
disaster preparedness
disciplined gluttony discretionary rules
disposable income
distant relative
doing nothing
domestic bliss
double solitaire
dress pants
dressy casual
driving pleasure
dry creek/lake/pond/river
dry humor
dry ice/martini./wine
dry snow
dull shine
dynamic monotone
E-F-G-H
educated guess
educational TV
elected king
elementary calculus
elevated subway
elite rabble
eloquent silence
enormously small
entertaining sermon
enthusiastic indifference
environmentalist bumper sticker
equally diverse equal justice
equal opportunity
escaped inmate
essential luxury
essential service
eternal life
ethical hackers
European Community
even odds
exact estimate
expected serendipity
expected surprise expect the unexpected
explicit innuendo
explicitly ambiguous
expressive silence
extended deadline
extensive briefing
extinct life form
extra ordinary
extra money
extra small
extremely average
extremely bland/neutral

fail safe
fair reporting
fair trial
fairly accurate
fairly explicit/obvious
fallout shelter
false fact
false hope
farewell reception
fast food
fast waiter
fast walk
fatally injured
fat-free cream cheese
fearful bravery
fiber glass
finally again
firm maybe
firm pillow
first annual
first conclusions first deadline
first string secondary
first-strike defense
fish farm
flood control
floppy disk
flurry of inactivity
flying fish
foolproof instructions
football scholarship
foreign national
forward back
forward lateral
found missing
free market
free prisoner
free with purchase
free rent
free society
free trade agreement
freezer burn fresh dried fruit
fresh prunes
fresh raisins
fresh yogurt
fresh-frozen
freezer burn
friendly argument
friendly divorce
friendly enemy
friendly fire
friendly suit (legal)
friendly takeover
front end
frugal gourmet
full service
full-time hobby
full vacuum
(as in a vacuum that needs a new bag)
functional illiterate
future history
fuzzy logic

gentle turbulence
gentleman bandit
genuine fake
genuine imitation
genuine-imitation leather
global village
go ahead, back up
going nowhere
good fast food
good garbage
good grief good junk
good lawyer
gourmet fast food
gourmet hamburger
gourmet sandwich/pizza
government aid
government assistance
government efficiency
government integrity
government initiative
graduate student graphic language
great depression
greater evil
green blackberries
green oranges
grotesque beauty
grounded airplane
group of individuals
growing small
guaranteed forecast
guest host
gunboat diplomacy

half-dead
half-dressed
half-empty/full
half-naked
half-true
happily married
hard curve
hard cushion
hard liquor
hard water
harmless crime
harmless lie
harmless pollution
harmless sin
hasten slowly hazardous waste disposal
head butt
healthy chocolate
healthy city environment
healthy tan
heavy gas
Hell’s Angels
here and there
high ground
highly visible covert operation
high-speed computer
hollow point
holy hell
holy land
holy war home office
home school
homework
honest convict/crook/thief
honest insurance companies
honest liar
honest politician
hopelessly optimistic
horribly decent
horse fly
hospital food
hot chili
house boat
huge market niche
huge shortage

I-J-K-L
ill fortune
ill health
immigration control
impatient patient
important trivia
inarticulate writer
incomplete cure
increasing declines
increasingly little
incredibly common
incredibly dull indifferently attentive
indirect communication
industrial park
inexpensive car
incredibly real
inexpensive house
inexpensive medical care
initial conclusion
initial results
initial retirement
inside out instant classic
instant folk hero
intelligent news coverage
intense apathy/disinterest
internal exile
intimate murder
intimate strangers
invisible ink
irate patient
insincere thanks
insincere vow

job security
journalistic integrity
jumbo shrimp
junk food justifiably paranoid

known-covert operation
kosher ham

lady-mud wrestler
ladies man
lamp shade
land developer
land development
larger half
last initial
lasting aid
least favorite
legal ethics
legally drunk
legitimate conspiracy
lemon lime
less is more
lesser evil
lesser good
liberal conservative
liberal fundamentalists
light armor
light-heavyweight lightweight
limited immunity
limited incursion limited lifetime guarantee
limited freedom
limited nuclear war
linear curve
liquid crystal
liquid gas/metal/smoke
liquid natural gas
lite beer
literal interpretation
literary illiterates
little bit big
little deceptive
live recording
live television
living end
living fossil
local long distance
local network
loners club
long and short of it
long brief (for lawyers)
long recess long shorts
long sleeve t-shirt
loose knot
loose tights
loud whisper
loud silence
love-hate relationship
lovers' quarrel
low altitude
low insurance rates
low tax
lower inflation
low-fat ice cream
low-intensity conflict
low-rise
loyal opposition
lucky stiff
luke-warm enthusiasm
luxury bus
luxury compact
locks on 7-11 stores
(which are open 24 hours)


M-N-O-P

major minority
male compassion
male ladybug
man child
managed competition
mandatory judgment mandatory option
mannish woman
marital bliss
mass customization
massively thin
maternity fashion
mature student
maxi thins
mean smile
meaningful nonsense medium large/medium well
melted ice
mercy killing
midnight sun
mighty weak
mild abrasive
mild cigar
mild interest
mild jalapeño
mild-mannered reporter
mildly psychotic
militant pacifist
military intelligence
mind-expanding drugs minor crisis
minor disaster
minor miracle
missing present
mobile home
modern history
modified-final judgment
moral majority
morbid humor
more perfect/unique
mud bath
mute sound
mutual differences
mutually exclusive

natural artifact
natural makeup
natural synthetic
near future
near miss
nearly complete
neat mess
necessary evil
negative gain
negative momentum
net security
neutral charge
never again
never generalize
new and improved new antiques
New Antiques arriving daily!)
new archeology
new classic
new cliché
new improved
new routine
new tradition
new used cars
nice and sleazy
night light
night vision
noble savage
no comment
non-alcoholic beer/wine non-dairy creamer
non-denominational church
non-fat cream/ice cream
non-stick glue
non-stick gum
non-stop flight
non-toxic bug spray
non-working mother
normal deviation
normal espionage
normal human
nothing much
nuclear defense
numb feeling
numbing sensation

objective opinion
objective parent
objective rating
obvious secret
ocean shore
oddly appropriate
oddly natural
office park
old news
one choice one hundred percent chance
one person crew
one size fits all
once again
only choice
open lock
open minded
open secret
open-book test
operating system (computer) opposite attraction
organized anarchy
organized chaos/mess
organized confusion
original reprint/copy
original reproduction
outer core
oven fried
oxymoron
oyster crackers

painless dentistry
paper tablecloth
paper towel
parallel connection
park drive
parents without partners
partial cease fire
partial conclusion
partial silence
partial success
partially completed
partially destroyed
partially organized
partly pregnant
passive challenge
passive confrontation
passive aggressive
past prediction
peace force
peace offensive
peace officer
peace riot
peaceful protests
peasant king
perfect idiot/misfit
perfectly awful/normal
perfectly ridiculous
perfect screw-up permanent guest host
permanent substitute
persistent ambivalence
personalized form letter
pet cat
petty cash
planned exodus
planned serendipity
planned spontaneity
plastic silverware / glasses/flowers/wood/straw/
player coach
player piano
pleasantly confused
pleasing pain
politely insulting
political cooperation
political ethics
political promise
politically correct
pool table
poor intelligence
poor rich kid
population control
positive resistance
positively negative
positively wrong
post feminist
post modern
postal efficiency
Postal Service
pretty ugly/bad
pot luck
practical experience
practical joke
practice test
precision bombing
precious junk
precision thinking
preliminary conclusion
premeditated spontaneity
presently gone
presidential promises
pretty disgusting
priceless junk
prison life
private citizen
private e-mail
professional wrestling
progressing backward
pronounced silence
pure 100% orange juice from concentrate
pure evil
pure dirt
pure speculation

Q-R-S
qualified success
questionable answer
quick fix
quick reboot (computer)
quickly slowing down quiet loudspeaker
quiet noise
quiet revolution
quiet riot
quiet scream
quiet storm
quiet tirade
quiet yell


random logic/order
randomly organized
random pattern
rap artist/music
real fantasy
real magic
real phony
real polyester
real potential
realistic fantasy
realistic schedule
realistic simulation
reasonable attorney fees
reasonable medical fees
Rebel Without a Cause
recent history recently new
reckless caution
recorded live
re-create
recycling dump
red licorice
regular special
rehearsed improvisation
relative stranger
relative truth
remotely obvious
removable sticker
required donation
required elective
resident alien
restless sleep retired worker
rising deficits
roaring silence
rock opera
rolling stop
round corner
round edges
routine emergency
routine surgery
rubber cement
running idle
running in place
rush hour
rustic elegance


sad clown
sad optimist
sad smile
sadly amused
sadly funny
safe and sane fireworks
safe guns
safe investment
safety hazard
same difference
sanitary landfill
sanitary sewer
scheduled spontaneity
school vacation
science fiction
scientific belief
scientific creationism
scientific speculation
screaming silence
scripted spontaneity
seashore
second best
second initial
secret rumor
semiprecious
semiprivate
semiprofessional
semi-retired
serious fun
serious humor
seriously funny
sharp curve
short distance
short survey
sight unseen
silent alarm/scream
silent applause
silent testimony
simple calculus simple computers
simple confusion
simple technology
simply superb
sincere lie
single copy
single pair
single thought
singular relationship
sit up
slight exaggeration
slight hernia
slight surprise
slightly overweight/pregnant
slow and steady rush
slow speed
slow-motion
slumber party
small crowd
small fortune
smaller half
smart bomb
smart drugs
smokeless cigarette
soaring down
social hermit
social outcast
social security
solid rumor
solo concert
solo ensemble
somewhat awesome
somewhat destroyed
somewhat functional
somewhat legal
sound of silence
spectator sport
speed bump
speed limit spendthrift
splendidly dull
spoken thought
staged accident
stand down
stand fast
standard deviation
stationary bike
stationary orbit
steel wool
still moving
still wind
stop action
straight angle
straight hook
straight-forward subterfuge
strangely familiar
strategic withdrawal
strong decaf
student teacher
study break
stunted growth
subjective data
subtle exaggeration
subversive compliance
sugarless candy
suicide victim
summer school
sun shade
sure bet/tip/guess
sweet and sour
sweet pickle
sweet sorrow
sweet tart
synthetic natural gas
systematic chaos
systematic disorder


T-U-V-W-Z
talk show
talking mime
tame beast
tame cat
taped live
targeted spam
tax return
temporary finish
tentative conclusion
terminal initialization
terribly enjoyable
terribly good terribly nice/pleased
terrific head ache
Thank God I'm an atheist
thinking out loud
tight slacks
timeless moment
to infinity and beyond
totally partial
tough love
traditionally radical
traffic flow
tragic comedy train schedule
tremendously small
troubled paradise
true counterfeit
true fiction
true gossip/lies/ story
true illusion
turkey ham
turned up missing
twelve-ounce pound cake


unbiased journalism
unbiased opinion
uncommonly common
uncommonly normal
uncontested divorce
uncrowned king
under abundance
uninvited guest
United Nations
unknown identity
upcoming downtrend
upside down
unsalted saltines
unsolved mystery
unspoken suggestion
unsung hero
unusual routine
unwelcome greetings
usually unusual
usually spectacular

Vanilla Fudge
veiled accusation
victimless crime
violent agreement
voluntary taxes
virtual reality

war games
warm ice
waterproof sponge
weapons of peace
wedded bliss
well-preserved ruins
we’re alone
wheeled walker
white chocolate
white gold
whole half
whole hemisphere
whole part/percentage/piece
wilderness management
wind burn
wireless cable
withheld contribution
working lunch
work party
working vacation