The Difference Between An Oxymoron and Juxtaposition

3 min readApr 1, 2024

Know the Difference

Oxymorons and Juxtaposition are literacy devices that get muddled often but they are not the same. While an oxymoron is where two contrasting (opposite) words sit next to each other, juxtaposition is when two contrasting ideas sit in close proximity to one another.

For example, these sentences contain oxymorons:

The peaceful chaos was all I knew.
The box was fully empty.
Deafening silence greeted me as soon as I entered the room.
It was the same difference.
Constant change is guaranteed.
The garment was pretty unsightly.

And here are some examples of juxtaposition in a sentence:

Love reigned here, not noticing the loathing simmering nearby.
Sunlight shone through the gap in the rock but it did nothing to the dark, coldness permeating the air.
The goodness that fills your heart cannot ever be siphoned by the hate that they show.
She was wild and untamed; he was austere and serious.
The baby blooms, so young and fresh has yet to know the death they would see.

Both devices are used to create effect and can portray a variety of themes and ideas, depending on the context. These devices can indicate internal and external conflict, a battle of forces, confusion, struggle and a range of other ideas. They are wonderful devices (or maybe I am the only one to think such), so watch out for them in pieces you are reading or listening to and try having a go adding them to your own pieces too.

If you have any questions, please let me know!

(Also, isn’t it cool how ‘oxymoron’ is an oxymoron in itself? The ‘Oxy-’ prefix can mean sharp or keen and ‘-moron’ means unintelligent or a fool!)

Thank you for all the support and inspiration I have been blessed with from so many individuals, including but not limited to:

Shakespeare — for all the oxymorons in Romeo and Juliet