The most common form of oxymoron involves an adjective?-noun? combination ("deafening silence"), although they can be constructed from an adverb?-verb?, as in "inaccurately verified", or as an adverb-adjective, as in "clearly ambiguous". Certain words can be deemed oxymoronic in context, such as "miscorrection" or "bittersweet".
Oxymora occur most frequently in humourous, sardonic or sarcastic commentary;
Oxymora are often used without any deliberate intent, and may indicate a lack of true consideration about what is being said. Examples include "old news," "extensive briefings," "random order," "detailed summary." There is some debate about the phrase "pretty ugly", as the word "pretty" has acquired a vernacular meaning of "very" in recent decades. Literally it remains oxymoronic.
There is a style of humour where phrases that are not contradictory are nonetheless presented as oxymora, the humour deriving from the allegation that the terms are contradictory. Examples include "government initiative", "military intelligence", "neutral point of view," "female rationality", "male sensitivity", "corporate ethics", et al.