It might sound like a schoolyard insult, but it’s not. An oxymoron refers to a word, phrase, or use of language that seems to directly contradict itself, and it is believed to come from the Greek ...

Oxymorons are common in everyday language, especially in expressions we use without much thought. We might say something is “awfully good,” “bittersweet,” “an original copy,” or that “less is more.” ...