Question

Is fun-loving an oxymoron?

is dropped back an oxymoron?

Answer 1

The phrases 'fun-loving' and 'dropped back' are not oxymorons as they do not combine contradictory terms, but rather, words that work together without creating a paradoxical meaning.

Step-by-step explanation:

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines contradictory terms to create a paradoxical effect. When we say something is an oxymoron, we're usually pointing out an inherent contradiction in the words used together. The phrase fun-loving is not an oxymoron because it combines two compatible ideas: enjoyment ('fun') and affection or enthusiasm ('loving'). These words complement each other and are not contradictory.

On the other hand, dropped back can also be considered not an oxymoron because the term 'dropped' means to move to a lower position, which can be physically as in dropping an object, or metaphorically as in falling back in a race or hierarchy, and 'back' refers to moving backward or in the direction one came from. In sports, someone who 'dropped back' would simply be moving to a rearward position relative to others, and this does not create a paradoxical meaning. Therefore, neither 'fun-loving' nor 'dropped back' are oxymorons.

Answer 2

I would not consider these oxymorons. An oxymoron would be self-contradicting like “pretty ugly” or “living dead”