OxymoronAges 15–20Deafening silence
A silence so complete and tense it feels loud.
After the tricky question, there was a deafening silence.
Remember: Silence can't be loud, so 'deafening silence' joins two opposites. Two clashing words side by side make an oxymoron.
Short lessonWord playWriters play with words by joining opposites or by giving one word two meanings at once.