What kind of figure of speech is a "wonderful awful idea"?

personification

simile

oxymoron

1 answer

The phrase "wonderful awful idea" is an example of an oxymoron. An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear in conjunction, highlighting a paradox or complexity in a situation or concept. In this case, "wonderful" and "awful" are opposing adjectives describing the same noun, "idea."