English is a strange language, and it doesn’t always make sense. For example, an oxymoron is a weird word to describe two things that contradict each other: an open secret, a deafening silence, and the most famous example, a jumbo shrimp. Oxymorons can confuse young learners, but we have plenty of materials to demystify them: take a look at our worksheets, games, activities, lesson plans and more.
Can there be a deafening silence? There can if you use an oxymoron! Oxymorons combine words that seem at odds. Learning oxymorons involves noticing the contradiction but comprehending the meaning of the whole. They’re pretty advanced, so most oxymoron help is designed for fifth graders. See if you can find these common oxymorons in your everyday life:
agree to disagree
almost ready
a little too big
bitter sweet
random order
wise fool
open secret
big baby
Teaching oxymorons should involve discussion of the contradiction. You might be able to laugh at the impossible. That’s because learning oxymorons sheds light on the irony in how we use language. In some of our oxymoron help, your child might have to pick the right overall meaning from several possibilities. This exercise lets them pick apart the meaning of the words and think through the options. Our oxymoron resources should leave you ‘terribly pleased.’ Push the envelope by trying our resources on the closely related concept of idioms.
