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 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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

zero deficit

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