What's the opposite of “oxymoron”?
What's the opposite of oxymoron? That is, two words put together that seem identical?
single-word-requests terminology antonyms
edited Nov 14 '13 at 16:10
RegDwigнt♦
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asked Jan 29 '12 at 22:52
Dominic
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What's the opposite of oxymoron? That is, two words put together that seem identical?
single-word-requests terminology antonyms
edited Nov 14 '13 at 16:10
RegDwigнt♦
82.7k31281377
asked Jan 29 '12 at 22:52
Dominic
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Are you looking for pleonasm?
– Alain Pannetier Φ
Jan 29 '12 at 23:20
4
The opposite of oxymoron would be two words that are perfectly compatible with each other, not identical.
– JeffSahol
Jan 30 '12 at 2:49
Etymologically speaking, the opposite would be a moroxyon. But quite apart from not being an actual word, that would be essentially semantically synonymous with its etymological opposite.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
4 hours ago
add a comment |
What's the opposite of oxymoron? That is, two words put together that seem identical?
single-word-requests terminology antonyms
edited Nov 14 '13 at 16:10
RegDwigнt♦
82.7k31281377
asked Jan 29 '12 at 22:52
Dominic
101113
What's the opposite of oxymoron? That is, two words put together that seem identical?
single-word-requests terminology antonyms
single-word-requests terminology antonyms
edited Nov 14 '13 at 16:10
RegDwigнt♦
82.7k31281377
asked Jan 29 '12 at 22:52
Dominic
101113
edited Nov 14 '13 at 16:10
RegDwigнt♦
82.7k31281377
asked Jan 29 '12 at 22:52
Dominic
101113
edited Nov 14 '13 at 16:10
RegDwigнt♦
82.7k31281377
edited Nov 14 '13 at 16:10
RegDwigнt♦
82.7k31281377
edited Nov 14 '13 at 16:10
RegDwigнt♦
82.7k31281377
82.7k31281377
asked Jan 29 '12 at 22:52
Dominic
101113
asked Jan 29 '12 at 22:52
Dominic
101113
asked Jan 29 '12 at 22:52
Dominic
101113
101113
9
Are you looking for pleonasm?
– Alain Pannetier Φ
Jan 29 '12 at 23:20
4
The opposite of oxymoron would be two words that are perfectly compatible with each other, not identical.
– JeffSahol
Jan 30 '12 at 2:49
Etymologically speaking, the opposite would be a moroxyon. But quite apart from not being an actual word, that would be essentially semantically synonymous with its etymological opposite.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
4 hours ago
add a comment |
9
Are you looking for pleonasm?
– Alain Pannetier Φ
Jan 29 '12 at 23:20
4
The opposite of oxymoron would be two words that are perfectly compatible with each other, not identical.
– JeffSahol
Jan 30 '12 at 2:49
Etymologically speaking, the opposite would be a moroxyon. But quite apart from not being an actual word, that would be essentially semantically synonymous with its etymological opposite.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
4 hours ago
9
9
Are you looking for pleonasm?
– Alain Pannetier Φ
Jan 29 '12 at 23:20
Are you looking for pleonasm?
– Alain Pannetier Φ
Jan 29 '12 at 23:20
4
4
The opposite of oxymoron would be two words that are perfectly compatible with each other, not identical.
– JeffSahol
Jan 30 '12 at 2:49
The opposite of oxymoron would be two words that are perfectly compatible with each other, not identical.
– JeffSahol
Jan 30 '12 at 2:49
Etymologically speaking, the opposite would be a moroxyon. But quite apart from not being an actual word, that would be essentially semantically synonymous with its etymological opposite.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
4 hours ago
Etymologically speaking, the opposite would be a moroxyon. But quite apart from not being an actual word, that would be essentially semantically synonymous with its etymological opposite.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
4 hours ago
add a comment |
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
Merriam-Webster says:
oxymoron, noun : a combination for epigrammatic effect of contradictory or incongruous words
pleonasm, noun : the coincident use of a word and its substitute for the same grammatical function
tautology, noun : needless or meaningless repetition in close succession of an idea, statement, or word
I'm not quite sure how the use of one word can be coincident with another per M-W's definition, but looking at pleonasms.com, one sees these nuggets:
anonymous stranger
basic fundamentals
empty hole
...
I'd say pleonasm comes the closest to being the antonym of oxymoron, in spirit if not in truth.
answered Jan 30 '12 at 3:40
Gnawme
36.5k260103
add a comment |
Try tautology. @alain-pannetier also made a good suggestion in the comments with pleonasm. The Wikipedia page explains the difference.
answered Jan 29 '12 at 23:53
Lunivore
5,68772045
1
As the wikipedia page for pleonasm explains, a tautology is very general, whereas a pleonasm is a redundancy in terms. An oxymoron is a contradiction in terms, so it would seem that pleonasm is the more appropriate antonym. Then again, wikipedia is all made up.
– Mitch
Jan 30 '12 at 0:45
1
"redundancy" isn't quite an antonym for "contradiction", though...
– Karl Knechtel
Jan 30 '12 at 2:43
@KarlKnechtel That is the problem with the question, though...will add comment to OP.
– JeffSahol
Jan 30 '12 at 2:49
Doh, the word "but" is hugely powerful and I should use it with more care. Edited accordingly.
– Lunivore
Jan 30 '12 at 9:07
add a comment |
These are nice, but only somewhat related to what I assume the original question is getting at, that is: if a good example of an oxymoron is an expression that involves both a contradiction and an ironic contrast between terms in the expression; the opposite or the reverse of an oxymoron might be an expression which involves an ironic reinforcement between terms in the expression. Neither a pleonasm or tautology assert any sense of irony or humor, as is inherent in an oxymoron.
If "military intelligence" is a good example of an oxymoron, "contempt of Congress" might be an example of the opposite. An oxymoron might give a sense of "these things that don't go together;" the reverse might be the sense of "duh, clearly these are related."
answered Jul 10 '12 at 23:33
sasguy
213
add a comment |
There is no opposite, the word internalizes opposites, its own contradictions. It'd be like making a black & white negative image of a chessboard.
An oxymoron ... is a paradox compressed into a
single self-contradicting phrase, and therefore the show-off among
figures of speech. / Helen Vendler, The Music of What Happens 1988
... the discord of the oxymoron. Basil
L Gildersleeve, Pindar: The Olympian and Pythian Odes
answered Jul 11 '12 at 10:34
jitard
32724
1
What are you hoping to tell us? This doesn't seem to answer the question.
– Matt E. Эллен♦
Jul 11 '12 at 10:51
I tried to clean up the answer. I had always been interested in the back story of how the word swiftly become a pet term in the mainstream press in the eighties, perhaps through Vonnegut's and Ashbery's example - and went a bit afield on that.
– jitard
Jul 11 '12 at 19:05
add a comment |
protected by user2683 Jul 11 '12 at 11:40
Thank you for your interest in this question.
Because it has attracted low-quality or spam answers that had to be removed, posting an answer now requires 10 reputation on this site (the association bonus does not count).
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4 Answers
4
active
oldest
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4 Answers
4
active
oldest
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active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
Merriam-Webster says:
oxymoron, noun : a combination for epigrammatic effect of contradictory or incongruous words
pleonasm, noun : the coincident use of a word and its substitute for the same grammatical function
tautology, noun : needless or meaningless repetition in close succession of an idea, statement, or word
I'm not quite sure how the use of one word can be coincident with another per M-W's definition, but looking at pleonasms.com, one sees these nuggets:
anonymous stranger
basic fundamentals
empty hole
...
I'd say pleonasm comes the closest to being the antonym of oxymoron, in spirit if not in truth.
answered Jan 30 '12 at 3:40
Gnawme
36.5k260103
add a comment |
Merriam-Webster says:
oxymoron, noun : a combination for epigrammatic effect of contradictory or incongruous words
pleonasm, noun : the coincident use of a word and its substitute for the same grammatical function
tautology, noun : needless or meaningless repetition in close succession of an idea, statement, or word
I'm not quite sure how the use of one word can be coincident with another per M-W's definition, but looking at pleonasms.com, one sees these nuggets:
anonymous stranger
basic fundamentals
empty hole
...
I'd say pleonasm comes the closest to being the antonym of oxymoron, in spirit if not in truth.
answered Jan 30 '12 at 3:40
Gnawme
36.5k260103
add a comment |
Merriam-Webster says:
oxymoron, noun : a combination for epigrammatic effect of contradictory or incongruous words
pleonasm, noun : the coincident use of a word and its substitute for the same grammatical function
tautology, noun : needless or meaningless repetition in close succession of an idea, statement, or word
I'm not quite sure how the use of one word can be coincident with another per M-W's definition, but looking at pleonasms.com, one sees these nuggets:
anonymous stranger
basic fundamentals
empty hole
...
I'd say pleonasm comes the closest to being the antonym of oxymoron, in spirit if not in truth.
answered Jan 30 '12 at 3:40
Gnawme
36.5k260103
Merriam-Webster says:
oxymoron, noun : a combination for epigrammatic effect of contradictory or incongruous words
pleonasm, noun : the coincident use of a word and its substitute for the same grammatical function
tautology, noun : needless or meaningless repetition in close succession of an idea, statement, or word
I'm not quite sure how the use of one word can be coincident with another per M-W's definition, but looking at pleonasms.com, one sees these nuggets:
anonymous stranger
basic fundamentals
empty hole
...
I'd say pleonasm comes the closest to being the antonym of oxymoron, in spirit if not in truth.
answered Jan 30 '12 at 3:40
Gnawme
36.5k260103
answered Jan 30 '12 at 3:40
Gnawme
36.5k260103
answered Jan 30 '12 at 3:40
Gnawme
36.5k260103
answered Jan 30 '12 at 3:40
Gnawme
36.5k260103
36.5k260103
add a comment |
add a comment |
Try tautology. @alain-pannetier also made a good suggestion in the comments with pleonasm. The Wikipedia page explains the difference.
answered Jan 29 '12 at 23:53
Lunivore
5,68772045
1
As the wikipedia page for pleonasm explains, a tautology is very general, whereas a pleonasm is a redundancy in terms. An oxymoron is a contradiction in terms, so it would seem that pleonasm is the more appropriate antonym. Then again, wikipedia is all made up.
– Mitch
Jan 30 '12 at 0:45
1
"redundancy" isn't quite an antonym for "contradiction", though...
– Karl Knechtel
Jan 30 '12 at 2:43
@KarlKnechtel That is the problem with the question, though...will add comment to OP.
– JeffSahol
Jan 30 '12 at 2:49
Doh, the word "but" is hugely powerful and I should use it with more care. Edited accordingly.
– Lunivore
Jan 30 '12 at 9:07
add a comment |
Try tautology. @alain-pannetier also made a good suggestion in the comments with pleonasm. The Wikipedia page explains the difference.
answered Jan 29 '12 at 23:53
Lunivore
5,68772045
1
As the wikipedia page for pleonasm explains, a tautology is very general, whereas a pleonasm is a redundancy in terms. An oxymoron is a contradiction in terms, so it would seem that pleonasm is the more appropriate antonym. Then again, wikipedia is all made up.
– Mitch
Jan 30 '12 at 0:45
1
"redundancy" isn't quite an antonym for "contradiction", though...
– Karl Knechtel
Jan 30 '12 at 2:43
@KarlKnechtel That is the problem with the question, though...will add comment to OP.
– JeffSahol
Jan 30 '12 at 2:49
Doh, the word "but" is hugely powerful and I should use it with more care. Edited accordingly.
– Lunivore
Jan 30 '12 at 9:07
add a comment |
Try tautology. @alain-pannetier also made a good suggestion in the comments with pleonasm. The Wikipedia page explains the difference.
answered Jan 29 '12 at 23:53
Lunivore
5,68772045
Try tautology. @alain-pannetier also made a good suggestion in the comments with pleonasm. The Wikipedia page explains the difference.
answered Jan 29 '12 at 23:53
Lunivore
5,68772045
edited Jan 30 '12 at 9:06
answered Jan 29 '12 at 23:53
Lunivore
5,68772045
answered Jan 29 '12 at 23:53
Lunivore
5,68772045
answered Jan 29 '12 at 23:53
Lunivore
5,68772045
5,68772045
1
As the wikipedia page for pleonasm explains, a tautology is very general, whereas a pleonasm is a redundancy in terms. An oxymoron is a contradiction in terms, so it would seem that pleonasm is the more appropriate antonym. Then again, wikipedia is all made up.
– Mitch
Jan 30 '12 at 0:45
1
"redundancy" isn't quite an antonym for "contradiction", though...
– Karl Knechtel
Jan 30 '12 at 2:43
@KarlKnechtel That is the problem with the question, though...will add comment to OP.
– JeffSahol
Jan 30 '12 at 2:49
Doh, the word "but" is hugely powerful and I should use it with more care. Edited accordingly.
– Lunivore
Jan 30 '12 at 9:07
add a comment |
1
As the wikipedia page for pleonasm explains, a tautology is very general, whereas a pleonasm is a redundancy in terms. An oxymoron is a contradiction in terms, so it would seem that pleonasm is the more appropriate antonym. Then again, wikipedia is all made up.
– Mitch
Jan 30 '12 at 0:45
1
"redundancy" isn't quite an antonym for "contradiction", though...
– Karl Knechtel
Jan 30 '12 at 2:43
@KarlKnechtel That is the problem with the question, though...will add comment to OP.
– JeffSahol
Jan 30 '12 at 2:49
Doh, the word "but" is hugely powerful and I should use it with more care. Edited accordingly.
– Lunivore
Jan 30 '12 at 9:07
1
1
As the wikipedia page for pleonasm explains, a tautology is very general, whereas a pleonasm is a redundancy in terms. An oxymoron is a contradiction in terms, so it would seem that pleonasm is the more appropriate antonym. Then again, wikipedia is all made up.
– Mitch
Jan 30 '12 at 0:45
As the wikipedia page for pleonasm explains, a tautology is very general, whereas a pleonasm is a redundancy in terms. An oxymoron is a contradiction in terms, so it would seem that pleonasm is the more appropriate antonym. Then again, wikipedia is all made up.
– Mitch
Jan 30 '12 at 0:45
1
1
"redundancy" isn't quite an antonym for "contradiction", though...
– Karl Knechtel
Jan 30 '12 at 2:43
"redundancy" isn't quite an antonym for "contradiction", though...
– Karl Knechtel
Jan 30 '12 at 2:43
@KarlKnechtel That is the problem with the question, though...will add comment to OP.
– JeffSahol
Jan 30 '12 at 2:49
@KarlKnechtel That is the problem with the question, though...will add comment to OP.
– JeffSahol
Jan 30 '12 at 2:49
Doh, the word "but" is hugely powerful and I should use it with more care. Edited accordingly.
– Lunivore
Jan 30 '12 at 9:07
Doh, the word "but" is hugely powerful and I should use it with more care. Edited accordingly.
– Lunivore
Jan 30 '12 at 9:07
add a comment |
These are nice, but only somewhat related to what I assume the original question is getting at, that is: if a good example of an oxymoron is an expression that involves both a contradiction and an ironic contrast between terms in the expression; the opposite or the reverse of an oxymoron might be an expression which involves an ironic reinforcement between terms in the expression. Neither a pleonasm or tautology assert any sense of irony or humor, as is inherent in an oxymoron.
If "military intelligence" is a good example of an oxymoron, "contempt of Congress" might be an example of the opposite. An oxymoron might give a sense of "these things that don't go together;" the reverse might be the sense of "duh, clearly these are related."
answered Jul 10 '12 at 23:33
sasguy
213
add a comment |
These are nice, but only somewhat related to what I assume the original question is getting at, that is: if a good example of an oxymoron is an expression that involves both a contradiction and an ironic contrast between terms in the expression; the opposite or the reverse of an oxymoron might be an expression which involves an ironic reinforcement between terms in the expression. Neither a pleonasm or tautology assert any sense of irony or humor, as is inherent in an oxymoron.
If "military intelligence" is a good example of an oxymoron, "contempt of Congress" might be an example of the opposite. An oxymoron might give a sense of "these things that don't go together;" the reverse might be the sense of "duh, clearly these are related."
answered Jul 10 '12 at 23:33
sasguy
213
add a comment |
These are nice, but only somewhat related to what I assume the original question is getting at, that is: if a good example of an oxymoron is an expression that involves both a contradiction and an ironic contrast between terms in the expression; the opposite or the reverse of an oxymoron might be an expression which involves an ironic reinforcement between terms in the expression. Neither a pleonasm or tautology assert any sense of irony or humor, as is inherent in an oxymoron.
If "military intelligence" is a good example of an oxymoron, "contempt of Congress" might be an example of the opposite. An oxymoron might give a sense of "these things that don't go together;" the reverse might be the sense of "duh, clearly these are related."
answered Jul 10 '12 at 23:33
sasguy
213
These are nice, but only somewhat related to what I assume the original question is getting at, that is: if a good example of an oxymoron is an expression that involves both a contradiction and an ironic contrast between terms in the expression; the opposite or the reverse of an oxymoron might be an expression which involves an ironic reinforcement between terms in the expression. Neither a pleonasm or tautology assert any sense of irony or humor, as is inherent in an oxymoron.
If "military intelligence" is a good example of an oxymoron, "contempt of Congress" might be an example of the opposite. An oxymoron might give a sense of "these things that don't go together;" the reverse might be the sense of "duh, clearly these are related."
answered Jul 10 '12 at 23:33
sasguy
213
edited 5 hours ago
answered Jul 10 '12 at 23:33
sasguy
213
answered Jul 10 '12 at 23:33
sasguy
213
answered Jul 10 '12 at 23:33
sasguy
213
213
add a comment |
add a comment |
There is no opposite, the word internalizes opposites, its own contradictions. It'd be like making a black & white negative image of a chessboard.
An oxymoron ... is a paradox compressed into a
single self-contradicting phrase, and therefore the show-off among
figures of speech. / Helen Vendler, The Music of What Happens 1988
... the discord of the oxymoron. Basil
L Gildersleeve, Pindar: The Olympian and Pythian Odes
answered Jul 11 '12 at 10:34
jitard
32724
1
What are you hoping to tell us? This doesn't seem to answer the question.
– Matt E. Эллен♦
Jul 11 '12 at 10:51
I tried to clean up the answer. I had always been interested in the back story of how the word swiftly become a pet term in the mainstream press in the eighties, perhaps through Vonnegut's and Ashbery's example - and went a bit afield on that.
– jitard
Jul 11 '12 at 19:05
add a comment |
There is no opposite, the word internalizes opposites, its own contradictions. It'd be like making a black & white negative image of a chessboard.
An oxymoron ... is a paradox compressed into a
single self-contradicting phrase, and therefore the show-off among
figures of speech. / Helen Vendler, The Music of What Happens 1988
... the discord of the oxymoron. Basil
L Gildersleeve, Pindar: The Olympian and Pythian Odes
answered Jul 11 '12 at 10:34
jitard
32724
1
What are you hoping to tell us? This doesn't seem to answer the question.
– Matt E. Эллен♦
Jul 11 '12 at 10:51
I tried to clean up the answer. I had always been interested in the back story of how the word swiftly become a pet term in the mainstream press in the eighties, perhaps through Vonnegut's and Ashbery's example - and went a bit afield on that.
– jitard
Jul 11 '12 at 19:05
add a comment |
There is no opposite, the word internalizes opposites, its own contradictions. It'd be like making a black & white negative image of a chessboard.
An oxymoron ... is a paradox compressed into a
single self-contradicting phrase, and therefore the show-off among
figures of speech. / Helen Vendler, The Music of What Happens 1988
... the discord of the oxymoron. Basil
L Gildersleeve, Pindar: The Olympian and Pythian Odes
answered Jul 11 '12 at 10:34
jitard
32724
There is no opposite, the word internalizes opposites, its own contradictions. It'd be like making a black & white negative image of a chessboard.
An oxymoron ... is a paradox compressed into a
single self-contradicting phrase, and therefore the show-off among
figures of speech. / Helen Vendler, The Music of What Happens 1988
... the discord of the oxymoron. Basil
L Gildersleeve, Pindar: The Olympian and Pythian Odes
answered Jul 11 '12 at 10:34
jitard
32724
edited Jul 11 '12 at 18:59
answered Jul 11 '12 at 10:34
jitard
32724
answered Jul 11 '12 at 10:34
jitard
32724
answered Jul 11 '12 at 10:34
jitard
32724
32724
1
What are you hoping to tell us? This doesn't seem to answer the question.
– Matt E. Эллен♦
Jul 11 '12 at 10:51
I tried to clean up the answer. I had always been interested in the back story of how the word swiftly become a pet term in the mainstream press in the eighties, perhaps through Vonnegut's and Ashbery's example - and went a bit afield on that.
– jitard
Jul 11 '12 at 19:05
add a comment |
1
What are you hoping to tell us? This doesn't seem to answer the question.
– Matt E. Эллен♦
Jul 11 '12 at 10:51
I tried to clean up the answer. I had always been interested in the back story of how the word swiftly become a pet term in the mainstream press in the eighties, perhaps through Vonnegut's and Ashbery's example - and went a bit afield on that.
– jitard
Jul 11 '12 at 19:05
1
1
What are you hoping to tell us? This doesn't seem to answer the question.
– Matt E. Эллен♦
Jul 11 '12 at 10:51
What are you hoping to tell us? This doesn't seem to answer the question.
– Matt E. Эллен♦
Jul 11 '12 at 10:51
I tried to clean up the answer. I had always been interested in the back story of how the word swiftly become a pet term in the mainstream press in the eighties, perhaps through Vonnegut's and Ashbery's example - and went a bit afield on that.
– jitard
Jul 11 '12 at 19:05
I tried to clean up the answer. I had always been interested in the back story of how the word swiftly become a pet term in the mainstream press in the eighties, perhaps through Vonnegut's and Ashbery's example - and went a bit afield on that.
– jitard
Jul 11 '12 at 19:05
add a comment |
protected by user2683 Jul 11 '12 at 11:40
Thank you for your interest in this question.
Because it has attracted low-quality or spam answers that had to be removed, posting an answer now requires 10 reputation on this site (the association bonus does not count).
Would you like to answer one of these unanswered questions instead?
9
Are you looking for pleonasm?
– Alain Pannetier Φ
Jan 29 '12 at 23:20
4
The opposite of oxymoron would be two words that are perfectly compatible with each other, not identical.
– JeffSahol
Jan 30 '12 at 2:49
Etymologically speaking, the opposite would be a moroxyon. But quite apart from not being an actual word, that would be essentially semantically synonymous with its etymological opposite.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
4 hours ago