conjoining contradictory terms (as in `deafening silence’)
It is a special form of antithesis
A figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction (e.g.faith unfaithful kept him falsely true)
plural oxymora, is a figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect. The common oxymoron phrase is a combination of an adjective proceeded by a noun with contrasting meanings, e.g. “cruel kindness” or “living death”.