Fill in the blank by selecting the most appropriate option to complete the figure of speech, oxymoron:
The deafening ________________ in the house after everybody was gone, made her cry.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → silence
Oxymoron:
- An oxymoron puts two words of opposite meaning side by side for a striking effect.
- This sentence:
- deafening means so loud that one can hardly hear;
- silence is the complete absence of sound;
- "deafening silence" is a silence so heavy that it is felt as strongly as a loud noise, which suits the empty house that made her cry.
Example: Parting from her friends was a sweet sorrow.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: noise — Incorrect. "Deafening noise" is a plain description: both words point to loud sound, so there is no contradiction.
Option 3: profundity — Incorrect. Profundity means depth of thought or feeling; it is not the opposite of "deafening", and "deafening profundity" makes little sense.
Option 4: sounds — Incorrect. Like "noise", "deafening sounds" is literal, so it forms no oxymoron.
Contrast: an oxymoron joins words of opposite meaning ("deafening silence"); "deafening noise" or "deafening sounds" joins words that agree, so it is a plain description.