Oxymoron Worksheets with Answers

Using oxymoron worksheets in the classroom provides an interactive way for students to identify oxymorons and understand how they are used to create literary effects.

Oxymoron Worksheets

Here, you will find three worksheets of oxymoron,; first, matching oxymoron with its definition; second, fill in the blanks with proper oxymorons; third, read the passage and identify the oxymorons. Answers are given at the end of the post.

Worksheet 1: Oxymoron Matching

Instructions: Match each oxymoron to its correct definition.

1. Jumbo shrimp
2. Deafening silence
3. Painful joy
4. Bittersweet victory
5. Fierce peace
6. Cruel kindness
7. Sweet sorrow
8. Open secret
9. Real fantasy
10. Living death

Definitions:

• a. A victory that is accompanied by sadness or regret
• b. A peace that is achieved through violence or bloodshed
• c. A kindness that is done in a way that is hurtful or harmful
• d. A sorrow that is mixed with happiness or joy
• e. A secret that is known to many people
• f. A fantasy that is based on reality
• g. A death that is experienced while still alive
• h. A silence that is loud and overwhelming
• i. A pain that is caused by happiness or pleasure
• j. A shrimp that is very large

Worksheet 2: Oxymoron Sentences

Instructions: Complete each sentence with an oxymoron.

1. The _______silence filled the room.
2. She felt a _______joy when she heard the news.
3. The _______victory was bittersweet.
4. The _______peace was maintained by a harsh military force.
5. He showed her _______kindness by being brutally honest.
6. The _______sorrow of losing her loved one was mixed with the _______joy of knowing he was in a better place.
7. The _______secret was known to everyone in the town.
8. The _______fantasy of flying became a _______reality when she invented the airplane.
9. The _______death of the tree occurred slowly over time.
10. The _______silence of the crowd was deafening.

Worksheet 3: Oxymoron Analysis

Instructions: Read the following passage and identify the oxymorons.

“The young soldier felt a strange mix of fear and excitement as he prepared for his first battle. He knew that the experience would be both terrifying and exhilarating, a painful joy that would forever change him. The battlefield was a place of contradictions, where life and death coexisted, and peace was achieved through violence. It was a place of open secrets and bittersweet victories, where cruel kindness was often the only way to survive. The young soldier knew that he would never forget his experience, even as it slowly faded into a living death.”

Worksheet 1 Answers

Oxymoron	Definition
Jumbo shrimp	j. A shrimp that is very large
Deafening silence	h. A silence that is loud and overwhelming
Painful joy	i. A pain that is caused by happiness or pleasure
Bittersweet victory	d. A sorrow that is mixed with happiness or joy
Fierce peace	b. A peace that is achieved through violence or bloodshed
Cruel kindness	c. A kindness that is done in a way that is hurtful or harmful
Sweet sorrow	g. A death that is experienced while still alive
Open secret	e. A secret that is known to many people
Real fantasy	f. A fantasy that is based on reality
Living death	a. A victory that is accompanied by sadness or regret

Worksheet 2 Answers

1. The deafening silence filled the room.
2. She felt a painful joy when she heard the news.
3. The bittersweet victory was a hollow achievement.
4. The fierce peace was maintained by a constant threat of violence.
5. He showed her cruel kindness by being brutally honest.
6. The sweet sorrow of losing her loved one was mixed with the painful joy of knowing he was in a better place.
7. The open secret was known to everyone in the town.
8. The real fantasy of flying became a living reality when she invented the airplane.
9. The living death of the tree occurred slowly over time as it lost its leaves and branches.
10. The deafening silence of the crowd was so loud that it was almost painful to hear.

Worksheet 3 Answers

1. Strange mix: This phrase suggests that the soldier’s feelings of fear and excitement are somehow incongruous, even paradoxical.
2. Painful joy: This oxymoron captures the bittersweet nature of the soldier’s anticipated experience. He knows that battle will be both terrifying and exhilarating, a source of both pain and joy.
3. Place of contradictions: This phrase sets the stage for the exploration of oxymorons in the passage. It suggests that the battlefield is a place where opposing forces meet and coexist.
4. Life and death coexisted: This oxymoron highlights the stark reality of battle, where life and death are constantly hanging in the balance.
5. Peace achieved through violence: This oxymoron suggests that peace can be achieved through paradoxical means, hinting at the complexities and contradictions of war.
6. Open secrets: This phrase suggests that secrets, by their very nature, are supposed to be hidden, yet in this context, they are somehow known to all.
7. Bittersweet victories: This oxymoron captures the duality of victory in war, where the triumphs are often accompanied by immense suffering and loss.
8. Cruel kindness: This oxymoron suggests that kindness can sometimes manifest in harsh or even cruel ways, reflecting the harsh realities of war.
9. Living death: This oxymoron describes a state of existence that is akin to death, yet somehow still maintains a semblance of life. It could symbolize the soldier’s psychological state, trapped in the harrowing memories of war.