Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumLiterary Devices and Figurative Language

Read the passage excerpt below carefully:

"When questioned by the tribunal about the missing funds, Chief Ebenezer maintained a deafening silence that spoke volumes to everyone present."

Which figure of speech is contained in the phrase "deafening silence"?

  1. A
    Paradox
  2. OxymoronAnswer
  3. C
    Irony
  4. D
    Hyperbole

Answer

Oxymoron
The term "deafening silence" places two contradictory concepts directly side-by-side to emphasize the intense impact of remaining silent. This structural pairing of opposite words defines an oxymoron.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the target phrase in context
The target phrase "deafening silence" combines two words with opposing meanings: "deafening" (extremely loud) and "silence" (complete absence of sound).
Identifying the structural relationship between the words in the phrase is necessary to determine the figure of speech.
2
Differentiate oxymoron from related devices
Directly placing two opposite terms side-by-side forms an oxymoron, whereas a broader contradictory statement that reveals a truth is a paradox.
Distinguishing word-level contradiction from sentence-level contradiction prevents misidentifying the device.

Key Concept

Oxymoron and Literary Devices in Context
Estimated Time:45s
Rate this question

Topics

Literary Devices and Figurative Language

More questions from this topic