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Words

What is the word that describes when two words that mean the opposite of each other are placed together?

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The word you are looking for is oxymoron: 'a word of Greek origins formed from words meaning sharp and dull meaning "a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction": e.g. a cheerful pessimist; harmonius discord'. (R.W. Burchfield, The New Fowler's Modern English Usage).

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