figure of speech meaning with examples

Figure of Speech

Definition of figure of speech.

A figure of speech is a word or phrase that is used in a non-literal way to create an effect. This effect may be rhetorical as in the deliberate arrangement of words to achieve something poetic, or imagery as in the use of language to suggest a visual picture or make an idea more vivid. Overall, figures of speech function as literary devices because of their expressive use of language. Words are used in other ways than their literal meanings or typical manner of application.

For example, Margaret Atwood utilizes figures of speech in her poem “ you fit into me ” as a means of achieving poetic meaning and creating a vivid picture for the reader.

you fit into me like a hook into an eye a fish hook an open eye

The simile in the first two lines sets forth a comparison between the way “you” fits into the poet like a hook and eye closure for perhaps a garment. This is an example of rhetorical effect in that the wording carefully achieves the idea of two things meant to connect to each other. In the second two lines, the wording is clarified by adding “fish” to “hook” and “open” to “eye,” which calls forth an unpleasant and even violent image. The poet’s descriptions of hooks and eyes are not meant literally in the poem. Yet the use of figurative language allows the poet to express two very different meanings and images that enhance the interpretation of the poem through contrast .

Types of Figures of Speech

The term  figure of speech covers a wide range of literary devices, techniques, and other forms of figurative language, a few of which include:

Personification

Understatement.

• Alliteration
• Onomatopoeia
• Circumlocution

Common Examples of Figures of Speech Used in Conversation

Many people use figures of speech in conversation as a way of clarifying or emphasizing what they mean. Here are some common examples of conversational figures of speech:

Hyperbole is a figure of speech that utilizes extreme exaggeration to emphasize a certain quality or feature.

• I have a million things to do.
• This suitcase weighs a ton.
• This room is an ice-box.
• I’ll die if he doesn’t ask me on a date.
• I’m too poor to pay attention.

Understatement is a figure of speech that invokes less emotion than would be expected in reaction to something. This downplaying of reaction is a surprise for the reader and generally has the effect of showing irony .

• I heard she has cancer, but it’s not a big deal.
• Joe got his dream job, so that’s not too bad.
• Sue won the lottery, so she’s a bit excited.
• That condemned house just needs a coat of paint.
• The hurricane brought a couple of rain showers with it.

A paradox is a figure of speech that appears to be self-contradictory but actually reveals something truthful.

• You have to spend money to save it.
• What I’ve learned is that I know nothing.
• You have to be cruel to be kind.
• Things get worse before they get better.
• The only rule is to ignore all rules.

A pun is a figure of speech that contains a “ play ” on words, such as using words that mean one thing to mean something else or words that sound alike in as a means of changing meaning.

• A sleeping bull is called a bull-dozer.
• Baseball players eat on home plates.
• Polar bears vote at the North Poll.
• Fish are smart because they travel in schools.
• One bear told another that life without them would be grizzly.

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that connects two opposing ideas, usually in two-word phrases, to create a contradictory effect.

• open secret
• Alone together
• controlled chaos
• pretty ugly

Common Examples of Figure of Speech in Writing

Writers also use figures of speech in their work as a means of description or developing meaning. Here are some common examples of figures of speech used in writing:

Simile is a figure of speech in which two dissimilar things are compared to each other using the terms “like” or “as.”

• She’s as pretty as a picture.
• I’m pleased as punch.
• He’s strong like an ox.
• You are sly like a fox.
• I’m happy as a clam.

A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things without the use of the terms “like” or “as.”

• He is a fish out of water.
• She is a star in the sky.
• My grandchildren are the flowers of my garden.
• That story is music to my ears.
• Your words are a broken record.

Euphemism is a figure of speech that refers to figurative language designed to replace words or phrases that would otherwise be considered harsh, impolite, or unpleasant.

• Last night , Joe’s grandfather passed away (died).
• She was starting to feel over the hill (old).
• Young adults are curious about the birds and bees (sex).
• I need to powder my nose (go to the bathroom).
• Our company has decided to let you go (fire you).

Personification is a figure of speech that attributes human characteristics to something that is not human.

• I heard the wind whistling.
• The water danced across my window.
• My dog is telling me to start dinner.
• The moon is smiling at me.
• Her alarm hummed in the background.

Writing Figure of Speech

As a literary device, figures of speech enhance the meaning of written and spoken words. In oral communication, figures of speech can clarify, enhance description, and create interesting use of language. In writing, when figures of speech are used effectively, these devices enhance the writer’s ability for description and expression so that readers have a better understanding of what is being conveyed.

It’s important that writers construct effective figures of speech so that the meaning is not lost for the reader. In other words, simple rearrangement or juxtaposition of words is not effective in the way that deliberate wording and phrasing are. For example, the hyperbole “I could eat a horse” is effective in showing great hunger by using figurative language. If a writer tried the hyperbole “I could eat a barn made of licorice,” the figurative language is ineffective and the meaning would be lost for most readers.

Here are some ways that writers benefit from incorporating figures of speech into their work:

Figure of Speech as Artistic Use of Language

Effective use of figures of speech is one of the greatest demonstrations of artistic use of language. Being able to create poetic meaning, comparisons, and expressions with these literary devices is how writers form art with words.

Figure of Speech as Entertainment for Reader

Effective figures of speech often elevate the entertainment value of a literary work for the reader. Many figures of speech invoke humor or provide a sense of irony in ways that literal expressions do not. This can create a greater sense of engagement for the reader when it comes to a literary work.

Figure of Speech as Memorable Experience for Reader

By using effective figures of speech to enhance description and meaning, writers make their works more memorable for readers as an experience. Writers can often share a difficult truth or convey a particular concept through figurative language so that the reader has a greater understanding of the material and one that lasts in memory.

Examples of Figure of Speech in Literature

Works of literature feature innumerable figures of speech that are used as literary devices. These figures of speech add meaning to literature and showcase the power and beauty of figurative language. Here are some examples of figures of speech in well-known literary works:

Example 1:  The Great Gatsby  (F. Scott Fitzgerald)

In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.

Fitzgerald makes use of simile here as a figure of speech to compare Gatsby’s party guests to moths. The imagery used by Fitzgerald is one of delicacy and beauty, and creates an ephemeral atmosphere . However, the likening of Gatsby’s guests to moths also reinforces the idea that they are only attracted to the sensation of the parties and that they will depart without having made any true impact or connection. This simile, as a figure of speech, underscores the themes of superficiality and transience in the novel .

Example 2:  One Hundred Years of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)

Both described at the same time how it was always March there and always Monday, and then they understood that José Arcadio Buendía was not as crazy as the family said, but that he was the only one who had enough lucidity to sense the truth of the fact that time also stumbled and had accidents and could therefore splinter and leave an eternalized fragment in a room.

In this passage, Garcia Marquez utilizes personification as a figure of speech. Time is personified as an entity that “stumbled” and “had accidents.” This is an effective use of figurative language in that this personification of time indicates a level of human frailty that is rarely associated with something so measured. In addition, this is effective in the novel as a figure of speech because time has a great deal of influence on the plot and characters of the story. Personified in this way, the meaning of time in the novel is enhanced to the point that it is a character in and of itself.

Example 3:  Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)

A book is a loaded gun in the house next door…Who knows who might be the target of the well-read man?

In this passage, Bradbury utilizes metaphor as a figure of speech to compare a book to a loaded gun. This is an effective literary device for this novel because, in the story, books are considered weapons of free thought and possession of them is illegal. Of course, Bradbury is only stating that a book is a loaded gun as a means of figurative, not literal meaning. This metaphor is particularly powerful because the comparison is so unlikely; books are generally not considered to be dangerous weapons. However, the comparison does have a level of logic in the context of the story in which the pursuit of knowledge is weaponized and criminalized.

Related posts:

• Speech: “Is this a dagger which I see before me
• Speech: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

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• Literary Terms
• Figures of Speech
• Definition & Examples
• When & How to Use Figures of Speech

I. What are Figures of Speech?

A figure of speech is a word or phrase using figurative language—language that has other meaning than its normal definition. In other words, figures of speeches rely on implied or suggested meaning, rather than a dictionary definition.  We express and develop them through hundreds of different rhetorical techniques, from specific types like metaphors and similes , to more general forms like sarcasm and slang.

Figures of speech make up a huge portion of the English language, making it more creative, more expressive, and just more interesting! Many have been around for hundreds of years—some even thousands—and more are added to our language essentially every day. This article will focus on a few key forms of figures of speech, but remember, the types are nearly endless!

III. Types of Figure of Speech

There are countless figures of speech in every language, and they fall into hundreds of categories. Here, though, is a short list of some of the most common types of figure of speech:

A. Metaphor

Many common figures of speech are metaphors. That is, they use words in a manner other than their literal meaning. However, metaphors use figurative language to make comparisons between unrelated things or ideas. The “peak of her career,” for example, is a metaphor, since a career is not a literal mountain with a peak , but the metaphor represents the idea of arriving at the highest point of one’s career.

An idiom is a common phrase with a figurative meaning. Idioms are different from other figures of speech in that their figurative meanings are mostly known within a particular language, culture, or group of people. In fact, the English language alone has about 25,000 idioms. Some examples include “it’s raining cats and dogs” when it is raining hard, or “break a leg” when wishing someone good luck.

This sentence uses an idiom to make it more interesting:

There’s a supermarket and a pharmacy in the mall, so if we go there, we can kill two birds with one stone.

The idiom is a common way of saying that two tasks can be completed in the same amount of time or same place.

A proverb is a short, commonplace saying that is universally understood in today’s language and used to express general truths. “Don’t cry over spilt milk” is a popular example. Most proverbs employ metaphors (e.g. the proverb about milk isn’t  literally  about milk).

This example uses a proverb to emphasize the situation:

I know you think you’re going to sell all of those cookies, but don’t count your chickens before they hatch!

Here, “don’t count your chickens before they hatch” means that you shouldn’t act like something has happened before it actually does.

A simile is a very common figure of speech that uses the words “like” and “as” to compare two things that are not related by definition. For example, “he is as tall as a mountain,” doesn’t mean he was actually 1,000 feet tall, it just means he was really tall.

This example uses a simile for comparison:

The internet is like a window to the world —you can learn about everything online!

The common phrase “window to the world” refers to a hypothetical window that lets you see the whole world from it. So, saying the internet is like a window to the world implies that it lets you see anything and everything.

E. Oxymoron

An oxymoron is when you use two words together that have contradictory meanings. Some common examples include s mall crowd, definitely possible, old news, little giant , and so on.

A metonym is a word or phrase that is used to represent something related to bigger meaning. For example, fleets are sometimes described as being “thirty sails strong,” meaning thirty (curiously, this metonym survives in some places, even when the ships in question are not sail-powered!) Similarly, the crew on board those ships may be described as “hands” rather than people.

Irony is when a word or phrase’s literal meaning is the opposite of its figurative meaning. Many times (but not always), irony is expressed with sarcasm (see Related Terms). For example, maybe you eat a really bad cookie, and then say “Wow, that was the best cookie I ever had”—of course, what you really mean is that it’s the worst cookie you ever had, but being ironic actually emphasizes just how bad it was!

IV. The Importance of Figures of Speech

In general, the purpose of a figure of speech is to lend texture and color to your writing. (This is itself a figure of speech, since figures of speech don’t actually change the colors or textures on the page!) For instance, metaphors allow you to add key details that make the writing more lively and relatable. Slang and verbal irony, on the other hand, make the writing seem much more informal and youthful (although they can have the opposite effect when misused!) Finally, other figures of speech, like idioms and proverbs, allows a writer to draw on a rich cultural tradition and express complex ideas in a short space.

V. Examples of Figures of Speech in Literature

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.” (William Shakespeare, As You Like It)

This is one of the most famous metaphors ever crafted in the English language. Shakespeare uses his extended metaphor to persuade the audience of the similarities between the stage and real life. But rather than making his play seem more like life, he suggests that life is more like a play. His metaphor calls attention to the performative, creative, and fictional aspects of human life.

“Our words are b ut crumbs that fall down from the feast o f the mind.” (Khalil Gibran, Sand & Foam )

Gibran’s timeless metaphor succeeds for a number of reasons. For one thing, it is not a cliché – had Gibran said “words are just the tip of the iceberg ,” he would have been making roughly the same point, but in a much more clichéd way. But the feast of the mind is a highly original metaphor. In addition, it’s a successful double metaphor. The crumbs and the feast are two parts of the same image, but they work together rather than being “mixed” (see How to Use Figures of Speech ).

“If you chase two rabbits, you will lose them both.” (Russian Proverb)

Like many proverbs, this one draws on a simple metaphor of chasing rabbits. The rabbits can stand in for all sorts of objectives, from jobs to relationships, but the coded message is quite clear – focus your energy on a single objective, or you will likely fail. This literal statement, though, is quite dry and not terribly memorable, which shows the power of figures of speech.

VI. Examples of Figures of Speech in Pop Culture

The chorus to Sean Kingston’s Fire Burning contains a couple of figures of speech. First of all, there’s the word “shorty” used as a slang term (see Related Terms ) for a young woman. She may or may not be literally short, but the figure of speech applies either way (though it could easily be taken as belittling and derogatory). Second, Kingston sings the metaphor: “she’s fire, burning on the dance floor.” Hopefully this is a figure of speech and not a literal statement; otherwise, Kingston and everyone else in the club are in mortal danger!

“Oh, thanks! This is much better!” (Townspeople, South Park )

This is an example of irony. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, South Park satirized the government’s response to the disaster by writing about a similar disaster in South Park. In a bumbling effort to rescue people from the floods, the authorities accidentally spill oil on the flood waters and set it on fire, making the situation far more dangerous. In response, they ironically “thank” the people responsible—their meaning is obviously the opposite of their words!

Years of talks between Washington and Havana resulted in Obama’s historic visit to Cuba on March 21st. (Patreon 2016)

This is a common form of metonym in foreign policy and news media. The capital city of a country is used as a metonym for the national government. The talks, of course, are not literally between these two cities, but between the leaders and government officials of the two countries (US and Cuba).

VII. Related Terms

Literal and figurative language.

Language is generally divided into two categories: literal, and figurative. Literal language relies on the real definition of words and phrases, or their literal meanings. Figurative language, on the other hand, relies on implied meanings, which can be understood differently depending on the location or who is using it. For example, “the sky is blue” relies on the literal definition of the word “blue,” while “I am feeling blue” relies on the figurative definition. All figures of speech rely on the use of figurative language for their meaning.

Sarcasm is mocking or bitter language that we use to express different meaning than what we say; often the exact opposite. When your intended meaning is the opposite of the literal meaning, that’s irony (another type of figure of speech), which includes common phrases like “Oh, great…” when you really mean something is bad.

Slang is language that uses atypical words and phrases to express specific meanings. It varies greatly by region, demographic, and language—for example, you would find different slang in the U.S. and in the U.K. even though they are both English speaking countries. Likewise, teenagers and the elderly will use different slang terms, as would Spanish and English. Many slang terms are figures of speech. For example, “bro” could be used to describe a friend rather than an actual brother; this would be using the word as a figure of speech.

List of Terms

• Alliteration
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• Equivocation
• Extended Metaphor
• Flash-forward
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• Intertextuality
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• Literary Device
• Malapropism
• Onomatopoeia
• Parallelism
• Pathetic Fallacy
• Personification
• Point of View
• Polysyndeton
• Protagonist
• Red Herring
• Rhetorical Device
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Figure of Speech

What is a figure of speech.

• Jack has a few skeletons in the cupboard .
• You are driving me up the wall .

The Seven Most Common Figures of Speech

Table of Contents

Examples of Figures of Speech

Metaphors used as figures of speech, similes used as figures of speech, personification used as figures of speech, hyperbole used as figures of speech, idioms used as figures of speech, euphemisms used as figures of speech, metonyms used as figures of speech, a broader definition of figure of speech, why figures of speech are important.

• This bedroom is a prison.
• He's a real gannet.
• He listened with a stone face.
• We don't need dinosaurs in this company.
• He eats like a gannet.
• This sandwich tastes like sawdust between two doormats.
• She sings like an angel.
• It's like water off a duck's back.
• The tide waits for no man.
• My car tends to give up on long hills.
• Summer's healing rays
• I have a million problems.
• We won a tonne of cash.
• I'll die if I don't finish this crossword.
• Be careful not to miss the boat.
• This is the last straw.
• You can't pull the wool over my eyes.
• Don't sit on the fence. Say what you mean.
• kicked the bucket = has died
• knocked up = is pregnant
• letting you go = you're fired
• lost his marbles = is mad
• Tongue = language
• Sweat = hard work.
• Capitol Hill = American seat of government
• took to the bottle = took to alcohol
• my word = my promise
• a suit = business executive, a lawyer (typically)
• Figure of speech: the use of words in an unusual or imaginative manner.

Alliteration

• The plate was filled with b eautiful b uns b ursting with b erries.
• The squ ea ky wh ee l gets the gr ea se.
• I will pi ck or cra ck the lo ck .

Logosglyphs

• She had eyes like pools .

Onomatopoeia

• The NASA humans-to-Mars program is all sizzle and no steak.
• During interphase, the protein binds to DNA with its elbow and then digs in with its fingers during mitosis. (Professor Leonie Ringrose)
• Team, we must throw a party in our guests' mouths. Got it? Yes, chef. Yes, chef. Yes, chef. Yes, Geoff. Did someone just call me Geoff? (Comedian Chris Wells)
• Use a figure of speech to express an idea more clearly or more interestingly.

This page was written by Craig Shrives .

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Top 20 Figures of Speech with Definitions and Examples

As an English learner, you probably would have heard of metaphor, personification, or simile. These are the most common types of figures of speech in English. Figures of speech play a significant role in English speaking and writing . You don’t necessarily use all types of figures of speech on a daily basis, but they act as a powerful tool in writing. In this article, we’ll go over the top 20 figures of speech that you need to know to improve your overall English language skills.

What is a Figure of Speech?

A figure of speech is a way of using language that goes beyond its literal meaning to convey a more vivid or imaginative expression. It involves the use of words or phrases in a non-literal sense to create a specific effect or emphasize a point. Figures of speech add color, creativity, and depth to language, making communication more interesting and engaging.

Importance of Figures of Speech

Figures of speech make language more interesting and expressive. They help convey emotions, create mental images, and emphasize ideas. By using metaphors, similes, and other figures of speech, speakers and writers can make their communication more vivid and memorable. These tools also add creativity to literature, contribute to cultural expressions, and play a role in humor. Overall, figures of speech enhance communication by making it more engaging, impactful, and versatile.

List of 20 Figures of Speech with Definitions and Examples

A simile is a figure of speech that compares two different things using the words “like” or “as” to highlight a shared characteristic. It helps create vivid and imaginative descriptions.

Example: As brave as a lion.

Explanation: Emphasizes the person’s courage by likening it to the well-known bravery of a lion.

2. Metaphor

A metaphor is a figure of speech that implies a comparison between two unrelated things, suggesting that they share common characteristics without using “like” or “as.” It is a way of describing one thing as if it were another to create a deeper understanding or evoke a specific image.

Example: Time is a thief.

Explanation: Time is compared to a thief to convey the idea that it steals moments or experiences.

3. Personification

Personification is a figure of speech in which human attributes or qualities are given to non-human entities or objects. It involves treating something non-human as if it has human-like characteristics.

Example: The wind whispered through the trees.

Explanation: Personifies the wind by attributing the human quality of whispering to it.

4. Hyperbole

A hyperbole is a figure of speech that involves exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. It is used to emphasize a point, create emphasis, or add dramatic effect.

Example: I’ve told you a million times to clean your room

Explanation: The exaggeration of a million times emphasizes the speaker’s frustration or annoyance. The person didn’t actually say it a million times.

5. Alliteration

Alliteration is a series of words in a sentence or phrase that share the same initial consonant sound. It is often used to create rhythm, emphasize a particular sound, or make language more memorable.

Example: Sally sells seashells by the seashore

Explanation: The repetition of the “s” sound adds a musical quality to the sentence.

6. Assonance

Assonance is where the repetition of vowel sounds occurs within nearby words in a sentence or phrase. It is used for musicality, emphasis, or to create a specific mood.

Example: Hear the mellow wedding bells

Explanation: The repetition of the long “e” sound enhances the melodic quality of the expression.

Irony is a discrepancy between what is said and what is meant, or between appearances and reality. It often involves a twist or contradiction that may be humorous, thought-provoking, or even tragic. An example of irony is situational irony, where a fire station burns down; this situation is ironic because a place dedicated to preventing fires becomes the victim of one.

8. Oxymoron

An oxymoron combines contradictory or opposing words to create a paradoxical effect. It is used to convey complexity, irony, or a unique perspective.

Example: jumbo shrimp

Explanation: The juxtaposition of “jumbo” and “shrimp” creates a contrasting and somewhat humorous image.

9. Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech where words imitate the natural sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to. These words are often used to evoke a sensory experience and bring a vivid quality to language.

Example: buzz

Explanation: The word itself imitates the sound of a buzzing bee.

10. Euphemism

A euphemism is a mild or indirect expression used to replace a harsh or blunt phrase that might be considered impolite, offensive, or too direct. It is often employed to soften the impact of sensitive or uncomfortable topics.

Example: Using “passed away” instead of “died” to refer to someone’s death

Explanation: “Passed away” is considered more gentle and considerate than “died.”

As a figure of speech, a cliché refers to an expression, idea, or phrase that has been so overused that it has lost its originality and impact. It involves using a predictable or stereotyped phrase that may lack creativity.

Example: Saying “quiet as a mouse” to describe silence is a cliché

Explanation: The phrase is often used and has become a common expression.

12. Allusion

An allusion involves referencing a well-known person, place, event, or work of art within a conversation, text, or speech. It allows the speaker or writer to convey complex ideas or emotions by drawing on the associations and meanings attached to the referenced element.

Example: Saying someone has “the Midas touch.”

Explanation: It is an allusion to the mythical King Midas, known for turning everything he touched into gold, suggesting a person’s ability to turn things successful or prosperous.

13. Anaphora

Anaphora is a figure of speech where a word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences. It is used for emphasis, rhythm, and to create a powerful impact.

Example: Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech

Explanation: He repeatedly begins sentences with “I have a dream” to highlight and reinforce his vision for a better future.

14. Chiasmus

Chiasmus is a figure of speech where the order of words or phrases in one clause is reversed in the following clause. This creates a balanced and often symmetrical structure, adding emphasis and style to the expression.

Example: Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.

Explanation: The order of the terms is reversed in the second part, creating a memorable and impactful rhetorical structure.

15. Litotes

Litotes is a figure of speech that uses double negatives or understatement to emphasize an idea by negating its opposite.

Example: Not bad

Explanation: Conveys that something is good but in a subtle or understated manner.

16. Paradox

A paradox is a statement or situation that appears self-contradictory or absurd, but in reality, it illustrates a deeper truth or logic, often highlighting the complexities and nuances of a concept.

Example: Less is more

Explanation: The apparent contradiction suggests that simplicity or having less can sometimes be more effective or valuable.

17. Epistrophe

Epistrophe is a figure of speech where a word or phrase is repeated at the end of successive clauses or sentences. It is used to create emphasis, rhythmic effect, and a memorable expression.

Example: Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address”

Explanation: “…and that government of the people, by the people, for the people…” The repetition of “people” occurs at the end of each phrase for emphasis.

18. Synecdoche

Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the whole, or vice versa. It involves substituting a specific attribute or component for the entire entity.

Example: All hands on deck

Explanation: This means that everyone (the hands) is needed to help, representing the entire person.

19. Antithesis

Antithesis is a figure of speech that involves the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas or words within parallel grammatical structures. It is used to emphasize the stark contrast between two opposing elements.

Example: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities

Explanation: The contrasting ideas of “best” and “worst” highlight the dual nature of the time period described.

20. Apostrophe

Apostrophe, as a figure of speech, is when a speaker addresses an absent or imaginary person, a non-living object, or an abstract concept as if it were present and capable of responding. It often involves a strong emotional expression.

Example: Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” when Mark Antony says, “O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth,”

Explanation: Addresses the lifeless body of Caesar as if it could hear and respond.

FAQs About Figures of Speech

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about figures of speech in English.

What are the 12 main figures of speech?

The 12 main figures of speech include simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance, euphemism, oxymoron, allusion, chiasmus, and litotes.

What are the 10 types of figure of speech and their meaning?

The 10 types of figures of speech and their meanings are:

• Simile: Comparing two unlike things using “like” or “as.”
• Metaphor: Implies a resemblance between unrelated things without using “like” or “as.”
• Personification: Giving human characteristics to non-human entities.
• Hyperbole: Exaggerating statements for emphasis or effect.
• Onomatopoeia: Words imitating natural sounds.
• Alliteration: Repetition of initial consonant sounds in nearby words.
• Assonance: Repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words.
• Euphemism: Substituting a milder or indirect expression for a harsh or blunt one.
• Oxymoron: Combining contradictory terms to create a paradoxical effect.
• Allusion: Referencing a well-known person, place, event, or work of art.

What are 5 examples of personification?

Here are 5 examples of personification:

• The sun smiled down on the beach.
• The wind whispered through the trees.
• Time flies when you’re having fun.
• The flowers danced in the breeze.
• The alarm clock screamed at me to wake up.

How many figures of speech are there in total?

According to Professor Rober Diyanni, “rhetoricians have catalogues more than 250 different figures of speech.” However, there are mainly 10-20 figures of speech there are commonly used.

Is my shoes are killing me a hyperbole?

“My shoes are killing me” is hyperbole because it is an exaggerated statement meant to convey extreme discomfort, not to be taken literally.

What are some examples of hyperbole?

Here are 5 examples of hyperbole:

• I have a million things to do.
• It’s raining cats and dogs.
• This suitcase weighs a ton.
• I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.
• The queue at the amusement park is a mile long.

Is idiom a figure of speech?

Yes, an idiom is a type of figure of speech. Idioms are expressions whose meanings cannot be inferred from the literal interpretation of their individual words.

More English Resources

If you want to learn more about the English language, check out the following topics.

• Choose your Own Adventure ESL Writing Activity
• Sequence Words: Meaning and Examples in English
• American English Idioms and Phrases to Learn

100 Common English Questions and How to Answer Them

• Parts of Speech Activities ESL | Adverbs, Articles, Nouns, Verbs

Figures of Speech: Join the Conversation

Which figure of speech interests you the most? Choose one and try creating an example yourself. When you’re done, share yours in the comments! We’d love to hear from you.

About Jackie

Jackie Bolen has been teaching English for more than 15 years to students in South Korea and Canada. She's taught all ages, levels and kinds of TEFL classes. She holds an MA degree, along with the Celta and Delta English teaching certifications.

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Figures of Speech: Definition and Types with Examples

A figure of speech is a word or phrase that is used in a non-literal sense to add emphasis or artistic effect. For example, if someone says “The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop,” they are using a figure of speech to exaggerate the silence in the room for emphasis.

Figures of speech are literary devices that are used to create a more imaginative and engaging way of speaking or writing. These literary devices are often used to create vivid images or to express complex ideas in a more concise and impactful way.

Some common examples of figures of speech include metaphors, similes, personification, hyperbole, and irony. These devices are often used in poetry and literature to add depth and meaning to the text.

Most Common Figures of Speech in English Grammar

There is no fixed number of figures of speech in English grammar. New figures of speech can be created and old ones can fall out of use, so the number is constantly changing. Additionally, different sources may classify figures of speech differently, so the number can vary depending on the criteria used. Some common figures of speech in English include:

In simple terms, a simile is a figure of speech that compares two things using the words “like” or “as.” It’s a way of describing something by saying it’s similar to something else.

Imagine you’re trying to describe how fast a cheetah runs. You could say, “The cheetah runs like lightning.” By using the word “like,” you’re comparing the cheetah’s speed to the speed of lightning. This is a simile because you’re saying the cheetah is similar to lightning in terms of speed.

Similes help make our language more interesting and descriptive. They can create vivid images in our minds and help us understand something better by relating it to something more familiar. For example, if you say, “Her smile is as bright as the sun,” you’re comparing the brightness of her smile to the brightness of the sun.

So, similes are like little tools that writers and speakers use to make their descriptions more engaging and imaginative. They allow us to compare things in a fun and creative way, using “like” or “as” to highlight the similarities between them.

Here are a few more examples of similes:

• “He is as brave as a lion.” This simile compares someone’s bravery to the courage of a lion, emphasizing their fearlessness.
• “Her voice was like music to my ears.” In this simile, the person’s voice is being compared to the pleasant and melodious nature of music.
• “The water shimmered like diamonds under the sunlight.” This simile compares the sparkling quality of water to the brilliance and shine of diamonds.
• “She ran as fast as a cheetah chasing its prey.” Here, the speed of the person running is likened to the incredible speed of a cheetah in pursuit of its prey.
• “His anger erupted like a volcano, spewing fiery words.” This simile compares the sudden and intense anger to the eruption of a volcano, highlighting the force and intensity of the emotions.

A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two things by saying that one thing is another thing, even though they are not literally the same. It’s a way of describing something by using a word or phrase that is unrelated to the thing being described. Metaphors make our language more imaginative and creative.

Let’s look at an example to help explain it better. Imagine you want to describe a person who is very brave. You could say, “He is a lion.” Now, obviously, the person is not actually a lion. What you’re doing is using the word “lion” to describe his bravery. Lions are known for their courage and strength, so by calling him a lion, you’re saying that he has similar qualities.

Here are a few more examples to help you understand:

• “Her eyes are sparkling diamonds.” Here, the person’s eyes are being compared to diamonds to emphasize their brightness and beauty.
• “Time is money.” In this metaphor, time is compared to money to convey the idea that time, like money, is valuable and should be used wisely.
• “Life is a journey.” This metaphor suggests that life can be thought of as a journey, with ups and downs, detours, and destinations.
• “He has a heart of gold.” Here, someone’s kind and generous nature is being compared to a heart made of gold, emphasizing their good-heartedness.
• “The world is a stage.” This metaphor compares the world to a stage, suggesting that life is like a play with different roles and performances.

Metaphors help us see things in new and interesting ways. They add depth and layers of meaning to our language by comparing one thing to another. By using metaphors, we can express ourselves creatively and make our descriptions more engaging and imaginative.

Personification

Personification is a figure of speech that gives human qualities or attributes to non-human things or abstract concepts. It’s a way of making something (that is not alive or human) seem like it has human characteristics or abilities.

Let’s suppose you’re describing a storm. Instead of just saying, “The storm was loud and powerful,” you could use personification and say, “The storm roared and unleashed its fury.” By using the word “roared” and attributing the ability to unleash fury to the storm, you’re giving it human-like qualities of sound and emotions.

Personification helps us create a more vivid and relatable image in our minds. It helps us understand and connect with things that are not human by making them seem more familiar.

• “The flowers danced in the breeze.” Here, the flowers are given the human quality of dancing, even though flowers cannot literally dance.
• “The sun smiled down on us.” This personification gives the sun the human ability to smile, adding a sense of warmth and happiness to the description.
• “The leaves whispered secrets to each other.” By attributing the action of whispering secrets to leaves, this personification creates a sense of intimacy and secrecy among the leaves.
• “The car coughed and sputtered before finally starting.” The act of coughing and sputtering is typically associated with humans, but here it is attributed to a car, giving it human-like qualities.
• “Time flies .” This personification suggests that time moves quickly, just like a bird or an insect in flight.

Personification helps make our language more colorful and imaginative. By giving non-human things human qualities, we can relate to them better and create more engaging and memorable descriptions.

Alliteration

Alliteration is a literary technique that involves the repetition of the same sound or letter at the beginning of closely connected words or stressed syllables. It’s a way of creating a rhythmic and musical effect in writing or speech.

To understand alliteration, let’s look at an example. Suppose you want to describe a rainy day and you say, “The raindrops danced delicately on the roof.” The repetition of the “d” sound in “raindrops,” “danced,” and “delicately” is an example of alliteration. It adds a pleasing and melodic quality to the sentence.

• “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.” This famous tongue twister is a playful example of alliteration, with the repeated “p” sound.
• “She sells seashells by the seashore.” In this phrase, the repeated “s” sound creates a smooth and flowing rhythm.
• “A big brown bear bounced on the bed.” The repeated “b” sound in this sentence adds emphasis and creates a strong beat.
• “Misty mountains majestically rise.” Here, the repeated “m” sound captures the sense of grandeur and adds a musical quality.
• “Silent as a shadow, he slipped through the night.” The repeated “s” sound in this sentence creates a sense of stealth and smoothness.

Alliteration is like a musical instrument in writing. It helps create a pleasing and rhythmic effect, making the language more memorable and engaging. It adds a touch of playfulness, emphasis, and sometimes even a sense of sound effects to the words.

Assonance is a literary device that involves the repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words. It’s a technique used to create a musical or melodic effect in writing or speech.

To understand assonance, let’s look at an example. Imagine you want to describe a serene lake, and you say, “The serene scene of the lake.” The repetition of the long “ee” sound in “serene,” “scene,” and “lake” is an example of assonance. It creates a soothing and harmonious quality in the sentence.

• “I feel the heat as I read.” In this sentence, the repeated “ee” sound in “feel,” “heat,” and “read” creates a flowing and musical effect.
• “The cat sat on the mat.” Here, the repeated short “a” sound in “cat,” “sat,” and “mat” adds a rhythmic quality to the sentence.
• “Hear the mellow wedding bells.” The repeated long “e” sound in “hear,” “mellow,” and “bells” creates a soft and melodic tone.
• “The owl howled at the moon.” In this example, the repeated long “o” sound in “owl” and “howled” adds emphasis and creates a haunting effect.
• “The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.” This famous phrase from the musical “My Fair Lady” demonstrates assonance with the repeated long “a” sound.

Assonance helps create a musical and lyrical quality in writing. It adds a pleasing and melodic effect, making the language more memorable and engaging. Assonance, along with other sound devices like alliteration and rhyme, can enhance the overall beauty and rhythm of a piece of writing or speech.

Consonance is a literary device that involves the repetition of consonant sounds in nearby words, specifically in the middle or at the end of words. It is a technique used to create a harmonious and musical effect in writing or speech.

To understand consonance, let’s look at an example. Imagine you want to describe the sound of the waves, and you say, “The waves crashed and splashed.” The repeated “sh” sound in “crashed” and “splashed” is an example of consonance. It creates a soothing and rhythmic quality in the sentence.

• “Mike likes his bike.” In this sentence, the repeated “k” sound in “Mike,” “likes,” and “bike” adds a crisp and sharp quality to the sentence.
• “Pitter-patter, raindrops scatter.” The repeated “t” and “r” sounds in this phrase create a sense of lightness and quick movement.
• “She sells seashells by the seashore.” Here, the repeated “s” and “sh” sounds add a soft and smooth rhythm to the sentence.
• “The whisper of the wind.” In this example, the repeated “w” sound in “whisper” and “wind” creates a gentle and airy effect.
• “A sweet tweet from a little bird.” The repeated “t” sound in “sweet,” “tweet,” and “little” adds emphasis and creates a playful tone.

Consonance helps create a musical and harmonious quality in writing. It adds a pleasing and rhythmic effect, making the language more memorable and engaging. Consonance, along with other sound devices like alliteration and rhyme, can enhance the overall beauty and rhythm of a piece of writing or speech.

Anaphora is a literary device that involves the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences. It’s a technique used to add emphasis and create a powerful effect in writing or speech.

To understand anaphora, let’s look at an example. Imagine you want to inspire a group of people, and you say, “We will fight for justice. We will fight for equality. We will fight for a better future.” In this example, the repetition of the phrase “We will fight” at the beginning of each sentence is anaphora. It creates a sense of determination and reinforces the message.

• “I have a dream that one day… I have a dream that one day…” In Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous speech, the repetition of the phrase “I have a dream” at the beginning of multiple sentences emphasizes the vision and hope.
• “Love is patient. Love is kind. Love is selfless.” The repetition of the word “love” at the beginning of each sentence highlights different aspects of love.
• “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.” In this phrase, the repetition of “let it snow” creates a sense of longing or excitement for snowfall.
• “I came, I saw, I conquered.” This famous quote from Julius Caesar demonstrates anaphora with the repetition of “I” at the beginning of each phrase, emphasizing the speaker’s actions.

Anaphora helps create a strong and memorable effect in writing or speech. By repeating words or phrases, it adds emphasis, rhythm, and power to the message being conveyed. Anaphora can be used to inspire, persuade, or create a sense of unity by reinforcing key ideas or themes.

An apostrophe is a figure of speech that involves addressing or speaking to someone or something that is not present or cannot respond as if they were present and able to listen. It’s a way of giving human-like qualities or directly addressing an absent person, an inanimate object, or even an abstract concept.

To understand apostrophe, let’s look at an example. Imagine you’re looking at a beautiful sunset, and you say, “Oh, Sun, your golden rays embrace the world.” In this sentence, you are directly addressing the Sun as if it can hear you and feel its rays. This is an example of apostrophe.

• “O, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” In Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is speaking to Romeo, who is not physically present. She is expressing her longing for him.
• “O, Death, be not proud.” In John Donne’s poem “Death, be not proud,” the poet directly addresses death and challenges its power.
• “Ocean, you mighty force, swallow my sorrows.” Here, the speaker is speaking to the ocean, personifying it as a powerful entity capable of engulfing their sorrows.
• “Hello, old friend, how I’ve missed you.” This is an example of addressing an absent friend, expressing the speaker’s sentiment of longing or nostalgia.

Apostrophe allows writers and speakers to give life and voice to non-living things or absent individuals. It adds emotional depth, expresses intense feelings, and helps create a sense of connection with the subject being addressed. Apostrophe is a powerful tool to convey emotions, explore ideas, and create a dramatic effect in literature and poetry.

Hyperbole is a figure of speech that involves exaggeration or overstatement for emphasis or dramatic effect. It’s a way of making something sound much bigger, greater, or more extreme than it actually is.

To understand hyperbole, let’s look at an example. Imagine you’re really hungry, and you say, “I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse!” Now, of course, you don’t actually mean that you could eat an entire horse. By using hyperbole, you’re exaggerating your hunger to emphasize just how strong it is.

• “I’ve told you a million times!” Here, the speaker is exaggerating the number of times they have told someone something to emphasize their frustration.
• “This suitcase weighs a ton!” The speaker is exaggerating the weight of the suitcase to emphasize how heavy it feels.
• “I’m as old as the hills.” This hyperbole suggests that the speaker is very old, even though they may not be that old in reality.
• “She cried an ocean of tears.” This exaggeration emphasizes the intensity and amount of tears shed by the person.
• “I have a million things to do today.” The speaker is exaggerating the number of tasks they need to accomplish to emphasize a busy schedule.

Hyperbole helps create emphasis, adds humor, and makes a point more memorable. By using extreme exaggeration, writers and speakers can draw attention to a particular aspect or evoke strong emotions in their audience. It adds a touch of excitement and playfulness to the language.

Litotes is a figure of speech that involves expressing an idea by using understatement or negation to convey the opposite meaning. It’s a way of making a point by stating something in a negative or ironic way, rather than directly affirming it.

To understand litotes, let’s look at an example. Suppose someone asks you if you enjoyed a movie that you absolutely loved, and you respond, “Oh, it wasn’t bad.” By using litotes, you’re downplaying your true enthusiasm and expressing it indirectly. The negative statement of “wasn’t bad” actually means that you really enjoyed the movie.

• “She’s not unfamiliar with the topic.” This litotes suggests that the person is actually quite knowledgeable about the topic.
• “He’s not the friendliest person.” This understatement implies that the person is not very friendly at all.
• “It’s not a bad view from here.” This litotes implies that the view is actually quite good or impressive.
• “She’s no ordinary singer.” This statement suggests that the person is an exceptional or extraordinary singer.
• “He’s not unfamiliar with trouble.” This litotes implies that the person is frequently involved in troublesome situations.

Litotes allows writers and speakers to make a point indirectly by using a form of understatement or negation. It adds a layer of subtlety, irony, or modesty to the language, and can be used to downplay or highlight certain qualities or situations. Litotes adds depth and nuance to expressions and can be an effective way to make a statement more memorable.

Euphemism is a figure of speech that involves using mild or indirect words or phrases to replace harsh, blunt, or sensitive terms. It’s a way of softening or sugar-coating the language to convey a potentially uncomfortable or offensive idea in a more polite or socially acceptable manner.

To understand euphemism, let’s look at an example. Suppose someone is talking about a person who passed away, and instead of saying “he died,” they say “he passed away.” By using euphemism, they’re choosing a gentler phrase to talk about the sensitive topic of death.

• “She’s in a better place now.” This euphemism is often used to refer to someone who has died, suggesting that they are in a peaceful or happier state.
• “He’s let go from his job.” This euphemism is used to soften the idea of being fired or terminated from employment.
• “I’m under the weather.” This phrase is a euphemism for saying that you’re feeling sick or unwell.
• “She’s expecting.” This euphemism is used to indicate that someone is pregnant.
• “He’s a little challenged in that area.” This euphemism is used to avoid directly saying that someone is lacking in a particular skill or ability.

Euphemisms help us navigate sensitive or potentially offensive topics by using more polite or less harsh language. They allow us to convey ideas with a touch of diplomacy, respect, or cultural sensitivity. Euphemisms are widely used in social settings, formal contexts, or when discussing delicate matters. They provide a way to discuss difficult subjects while maintaining politeness and decorum.

Antithesis is a figure of speech that involves contrasting or juxtaposing two opposing ideas, words, or phrases within a sentence or paragraph. It’s a way of highlighting the stark contrast between two things to create a powerful effect or emphasize a point.

To understand antithesis, let’s look at an example. Suppose you want to describe a character who is both kind and cruel, and you say, “She was both the epitome of kindness and the embodiment of cruelty.” In this sentence, the contrasting ideas of kindness and cruelty are placed side by side, creating an antithesis. It emphasizes the stark opposition between the two qualities.

• “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” In this famous line from Charles Dickens’ novel “A Tale of Two Cities,” the contrast between the best and worst of times emphasizes the extreme nature of the era being described.
• “Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing.” This antithesis juxtaposes the idealized notion of love with the practical reality of marriage.
• “Give me liberty or give me death.” This well-known phrase by Patrick Henry highlights the choice between freedom and death, creating a powerful antithesis.
• “To err is human; to forgive, divine.” This antithesis contrasts the fallibility of human nature with the divine quality of forgiveness.

Antithesis allows writers and speakers to highlight the stark opposition between two contrasting ideas, emphasizing their differences and creating a strong impact. By placing contrasting words or phrases side by side, antithesis adds emphasis, drama, and clarity to the language. It can be used to convey deeper meaning, create memorable statements, or draw attention to the stark contrast between concepts.

A paradox is a figure of speech that involves a statement or situation that appears to be contradictory or absurd, but upon closer examination, reveals a deeper truth or logic. It’s a way of presenting a seemingly illogical or contradictory idea to provoke deeper thinking and contemplation.

To understand paradox, let’s look at an example. Imagine someone says, “I can resist anything except temptation.” At first, it may seem contradictory because resisting implies not giving in to something, while temptation suggests a strong desire to indulge. However, the paradox reveals the human struggle and the irony that resisting temptation can be particularly challenging.

• “The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know.” This paradox highlights the idea that as knowledge increases, awareness of one’s own ignorance also grows.
• “I’m nobody.” This paradoxical statement suggests that by claiming to be nobody, one may actually be asserting their individuality or unique perspective.
• “This is the beginning of the end.” This paradox captures the contradictory notion that an ending can also mark the start of something new.
• “You have to be cruel to be kind.” This paradox suggests that sometimes, an act of apparent cruelty can actually be a kind or compassionate action in the long run.

Paradoxes challenge our thinking by presenting ideas that seem contradictory on the surface but contain a deeper truth or insight. They engage our minds, provoke reflection, and encourage us to question assumptions and explore complexities. Paradoxes can be found in literature, philosophy, and everyday language, and they help us grapple with the complexities of life and the inherent contradictions within our world.

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two contradictory or opposite terms to create a new meaning or concept. It’s a way of expressing a paradoxical idea by placing contrasting words side by side.

To understand an oxymoron, let’s look at an example. Imagine someone says, “bittersweet.” The term “bitter” and “sweet” are opposites, as bitterness and sweetness are contradictory tastes. However, when used together as an oxymoron, “bittersweet” creates a unique meaning that expresses a complex blend of both positive and negative emotions.

• “Jumbo shrimp.” The word “jumbo” suggests something large, while “shrimp” refers to something small. Together, they create an oxymoron that plays on the contrasting sizes.
• “Living dead.” This oxymoron combines the idea of being alive (“living”) with the notion of being deceased (“dead”).
• “Deafening silence.” The word “deafening” suggests a loud and overwhelming sound, while “silence” refers to the absence of sound. This oxymoron creates a powerful image of a silence that is so profound it becomes almost overwhelming.
• “Cruel kindness.” This oxymoron combines the contrasting ideas of cruelty and kindness, suggesting a kind act that may have an unintended negative impact.

Oxymorons add depth, complexity, and intrigue to language. By combining contradictory terms, they create a vivid and memorable effect. Oxymorons often capture the nuances and complexities of human experiences by highlighting the coexistence of opposing elements. They challenge our expectations, provoke thought, and provide a fresh perspective on familiar concepts.

An epigram is a short and witty statement or verse that expresses a clever or insightful idea. It’s a concise and memorable way of conveying a thought, often with a touch of humor or irony.

To understand an epigram, let’s look at an example. Imagine someone saying, “I can resist everything except temptation.” This short statement by Oscar Wilde captures a clever twist on the idea of resisting temptation, highlighting the humorous struggle many people face.

• “In youth, we learn; in age, we understand.” This epigram by Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach captures the idea that as we grow older, we gain wisdom and a deeper understanding of life.
• “A little learning is a dangerous thing.” This epigram by Alexander Pope highlights the idea that having limited knowledge on a subject can be more harmful than having no knowledge at all.
• “I can resist everything but temptation.” This playful epigram by Oscar Wilde adds a humorous twist by emphasizing the difficulty of resisting temptation.
• “Honesty is the best policy, but insanity is a better defense.” This epigram plays on the idea that sometimes, unconventional or unexpected approaches can yield surprising results.

Epigrams are often used to encapsulate a complex idea concisely and cleverly. They provide a memorable way to express a thought, provoke thought, or offer a fresh perspective on a subject. Epigrams are commonly found in literature, speeches, and everyday conversations. They add a touch of wit, humor, and insight to the language, making them a powerful and engaging form of expression.

Irony is a figure of speech that involves the use of words or expressions to convey a meaning that is the opposite of their literal meaning. It is a way of using language to express a contrast between what is said and what is meant, or between what is expected to happen and what actually happens.

To understand irony, let’s look at an example. Imagine it’s raining heavily outside, and someone looks out the window and says, “What a beautiful day!” Here, the statement is ironic because the speaker’s words directly contradict the reality of the rainy weather.

There are three main types of irony:

• Verbal irony: This involves saying one thing but meaning the opposite. For example: “Oh, that’s just great. Now we’re really in trouble.” (said sarcastically when something goes wrong)
• Dramatic irony: This occurs when the audience or reader knows something that the characters in a story or play do not. For example: In the play “Romeo and Juliet,” the audience knows that Juliet is not really dead, but Romeo does not, and he kills himself in despair.
• Situational irony: This involves a situation in which the outcome is the opposite of what was expected or intended.
• A fire station burns down. This is an example of situational irony because it’s unexpected and contrary to what one would normally expect to happen.
• A dentist with bad teeth. This is an example of verbal irony because it’s a contradiction between what is said (a dentist is someone who takes care of teeth) and the situation (the dentist has bad teeth).
• A person saying “I love waking up early” when they’re known for always sleeping in. This is an example of irony because their words contradict their actions or reputation.
• A person saying “Great job!” sarcastically when someone makes a mistake. This is an example of dramatic irony because the person’s words convey the opposite of what they truly mean.

Irony adds depth and complexity to language by highlighting contradictions or unexpected outcomes. It can be used to convey humor, make a point, or create a sense of surprise. Irony often relies on context or an understanding of the situation to appreciate the contrast between what is expected and what actually occurs. It’s a powerful tool in literature, comedy, and everyday communication.

A pun is a figure of speech that involves the use of words that have multiple meanings or that sound similar to create a humorous or clever effect. It is a play on words that relies on the use of words that have more than one meaning or that sound similar to create a humorous or clever effect.

To understand a pun, let’s look at an example. Imagine someone says, “I used to be a baker, but I couldn’t make enough dough.” In this pun, the word “dough” has a double meaning. It can refer to the bread-making ingredient, but it is also used colloquially to mean money. The pun cleverly plays on this dual meaning to create a humorous effect.

• “I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down!” This pun relies on the double meaning of “put down” as both physically placing something down and losing interest in a book.
• “I used to be a baker, but I couldn’t make enough bread. It wasn’t my knead.” This pun plays on the words “bread” and “knead,” using a word that sounds similar to “need” to create a humorous effect.
• “I’m glad I know sign language; it’s pretty handy.” This pun relies on the double meaning of “handy” as both having practical skills and being physically helpful.
• “Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field!” This pun uses the word “outstanding” to play on the idea of the scarecrow being exceptional in his field (the field where crops grow).

Puns are a form of wordplay that adds humor, cleverness, and wit to language. They rely on the multiple meanings, homophones (words that sound the same but have different meanings), or wordplay to create a humorous or clever effect. Puns can be found in jokes, advertising slogans, literature, and everyday conversations. They’re a playful and entertaining way to engage with language and tickle our funny bones.

Metonymy is a figure of speech that involves using a word or phrase to represent something closely associated with it, but not actually part of it. It’s a way of referring to something by mentioning another word or phrase that is related to it.

To understand metonymy, let’s look at an example. Imagine someone says, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” Here, the word “pen” is used to represent writing or communication, while the word “sword” symbolizes warfare or violence. The phrase suggests that the power of words and ideas (represented by the pen) can be more influential than physical force (represented by the sword).

• “The crown” refers to a king or queen. In this case, the word “crown” is used to represent the power and authority associated with royalty.
• “The White House issued a statement.” Here, “White House” is used to represent the government or the President of the United States, as the White House is closely associated with political decision-making.
• “Let me give you a hand.” In this expression, “hand” is used to represent assistance or help, indicating a willingness to support or lend a hand.
• “The press” refers to journalists or the media. Here, the word “press” is used to represent the industry or people involved in news reporting.

Metonymy allows us to use a word or phrase closely related to something to represent or refer to it. It adds depth, symbolism, and economy to language by using associations to convey meaning. Metonymy is commonly used in literature, poetry, speeches, and everyday conversations. It provides a way to express ideas concisely and indirectly, while still being understood within the context.

Synecdoche is a figure of speech that involves using a part of something to represent the whole or using the whole to represent a part. It’s a way of referring to something by mentioning a related, but distinct, part or whole.

To understand synecdoche, let’s look at an example. Imagine someone says, “All hands on deck!” Here, the word “hands” is used to represent the whole person or the entire crew on a ship. By referring to a part (hands), the speaker is actually referring to the larger group (the crew).

• “Nice wheels!” Here, the word “wheels” is used to refer to a car. The wheels are just a part of the car, but they represent the whole vehicle.
• “The law” refers to the police or legal system. In this case, the word “law” is used to represent the entire system of rules and law enforcement.
• “He’s a hired gun.” Here, the phrase “hired gun” is used to represent a person who is hired to carry out a specific task or job. The term “gun” refers to the person as a whole.

Synecdoche allows us to use a specific part or whole to represent something larger or smaller, creating a figurative meaning. It adds richness and depth to language by using associations and connections. Synecdoche can be found in literature, poetry, speeches, and everyday conversations. It provides a way to convey meaning in a concise and evocative manner by using familiar relationships between parts and wholes.

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech that involves using words that imitate or mimic the sound associated with the object or action they describe. It’s a way of creating a connection between the word and the sound it represents, making the text more vivid and engaging for the reader or listener.

To understand onomatopoeia, let’s look at some examples. Imagine the sound of a clock ticking, and someone says, “tick-tock.” Here, the word “tick-tock” imitates the actual sound made by the clock, creating an onomatopoeic effect.

• “Buzz” represents the sound of a bee flying around.
• “Boom” imitates the sound of an explosion.
• “Hiss” imitates the sound a snake makes.
• “Splash” imitates the sound of something falling into water.

Onomatopoeic words add a sense of realism, sensory experience, and sound imagery to writing. They allow readers to imagine or hear the sounds being described more vividly. Onomatopoeia is commonly used in literature, poetry, comic books, and children’s stories. By using words that imitate sounds, writers and speakers can bring their descriptions to life and engage the senses of their audience.

Classification of Figures of Speech

Figures of speech can be classified into various categories based on the different ways they manipulate language. Here are some common classifications of figures of speech:

• Simile: Comparing two things using “like” or “as” (e.g., “She sings like an angel”).
• Metaphor: Describing something by equating it with another unrelated thing (e.g., “He’s a shining star”).
• Metonymy: Using a word or phrase to represent something closely associated with it (e.g., “The pen is mightier than the sword”).
• Synecdoche: Using a part to represent the whole or vice versa (e.g., “All hands on deck”).
• Hyperbole: Exaggerating or overstating for emphasis or effect (e.g., “I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse”).
• Litotes: Understating or expressing something by negating its opposite (e.g., “She’s not unkind”).
• Alliteration: Repeating the same sound or letter at the beginning of closely connected words (e.g., “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers”).
• Assonance: Repetition of similar vowel sounds within words (e.g., “fleet feet sweep by sleeping geese”).
• Apostrophe: Directly addressing an absent person or an abstract idea as if it were present (e.g., “O, Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?”).
• Irony: Expressing something contrary to the intended meaning for humorous or dramatic effect (e.g., “The teacher said the test was easy, but it was actually very difficult”).
• Oxymoron: Combining two contradictory terms to create a new meaning (e.g., “bittersweet” or “jumbo shrimp”).
• Anaphora: Repeating the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences (e.g., “I have a dream… I have a dream…”).
• Epiphora or Epistrophe: Repeating the same word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or sentences (e.g., “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child”).

These are just a few examples of how figures of speech can be classified. Note that some figures of speech may fall into multiple categories, and there can be variations and subcategories within each classification.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of using figures of speech.

Figures of speech serve various purposes in communication. They add depth, creativity, and vividness to language, making it more engaging, memorable, and expressive. They help convey complex ideas, evoke emotions, create imagery, and enhance the overall impact of the message being communicated.

How do figures of speech enhance writing and speaking?

Figures of speech enhance writing and speaking by adding rhetorical devices and literary techniques that make the language more interesting and impactful. They capture the attention of the audience, evoke emotions, paint vivid pictures, and create a lasting impression. They make communication more persuasive, memorable, and engaging.

Can figures of speech be used in everyday conversations?

Absolutely! Figures of speech are not limited to formal writing or literature. They can be used in everyday conversations to make your speech more colorful, expressive, and engaging. Whether it’s using a simile to describe something, employing a metaphor to convey meaning, or utilizing a witty pun, figures of speech can add flair to your everyday communication.

How can one improve their use of figures of speech?

Improving the use of figures of speech involves developing a strong grasp of different types of figures of speech and their appropriate usage. Reading widely, exploring various literary works, and studying examples of figures of speech can enhance your understanding and help you recognize their applications in different contexts. Regular practice and experimentation in writing and speaking can also improve your ability to incorporate figures of speech effectively.

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figure of speech

What is a figure of speech definition, usage, and literary examples, figure of speech definition.

Figures of speech  (FIG-yurs of SPEEchuh) are words or phrases used in a non-literal sense for  rhetorical  effect. They are often constructed using literary devices such as  metaphor ,  simile ,  alliteration , metonymy, synecdoche, and personification. Figures of speech allow writers to apply familiar ideas and  imagery  to less familiar concepts, and they are widespread in written and spoken language.

Figure of Speech Categories

Figures of speech fall into two broad categories: tropes and scheme. These are  dozens of figures of speech  that fall into each category, so the following are a select few examples.

These are figures of speech that play with syntax, sound, and words. They often achieve their effects by utilizing repetition of words, phrases, or sounds; omission of words or punctuation; unexpected changes in word order; or paired identical grammatical structures.

• Alliteration : Repeating consonant sounds in a series of words
• Diacope: Repeating words or phrases, interrupted by one or two other words
• Homonyms: Identical words that have different meanings
• Sibilance: Repeating hissing sounds
• Asyndeton: Omitting conjunctions between related series of clauses
• Brachylogia: Omitting conjunctions between individual words
• Ellipsis: Omitting words without losing  context  or understanding
• Syncope: Omitting word or phrase parts

Changes in Word Order

• Anastrophe: Rearranging the subject, object and verb order in a phrase
• Apposition: Two phrases, often separated by commas, where the second defines the first
• Parenthesis: A rhetorical, qualifying phrase inserted into a sentence or passage
• Spoonerism: Switching syllables between two words

Paired Grammatical Structures

• Antithesis : Juxtaposing ideas
• Isocolon: Consecutive phrases of identical length in words or syllables
• Parallelism: Similar grammatical structure between two or more clauses
• Tricolon: Three consecutive phrases of identical length in words or syllables

These are figures of speech that deviate in some way from the literal meanings of words. They tend to include association or comparison to shift readers’ perceptions from words’ true definitions to a layered figurative meaning. They can be broken into five categories: reference, word play/puns, substitutions, overstatement/understatement, and inversion.

• Allegory : A narrative that is an indirect metaphor for a broader, real-world concept
• Allusion : An intertextual reference to another creative work
• Metaphor : A direct comparison between two unrelated things
• Personification: Attributing human characteristics to non-human entities

Word Play/Puns

• Innuendo: A phrase or  sentence  with a hidden (often salacious) meaning
• Malapropism: Confusing a word with a similar sounding one
• Paraprosdokian : An unexpected ending to a phrase
• Pun : Word play that makes use of a word’s multiple meanings

Substitutions

• Dysphemism: Using a harsh word or phrase to replace a gentler one
• Euphemism : Using a more agreeable word or phrase to replace an offensive one
• Metonymy: Replacing a word or term with something associated with it
• Synecdoche: Referring to a whole by its part(s) or vice versa

Overstatement/Understatement

• Grandiloquence: Speech that is pompous or grandiose
• Hyperbole : An emphatic exaggeration
• Litotes : Emphasizing a statement by negating its opposite
• Satire: Criticism of society through humorous means
• Irony : Conveying the opposite of a word’s literal meaning
• Oxymoron : Using contradictory words together
• Paradox: Using contradictory ideas to make a point
• Synesthesia: Using sensory-specific words to describe a different sense

Most Common Figures of Speech

The following are some of the most common figures of speech that appear in literature and other written forms.

• Alliteration :  This is a scheme that uses repetition of the same first consonant sound to create a musical effect. “Francine found France quite lovely” is an example of alliteration because of the repeating  f  sound in the words  Francine ,  found , and  France .
• Apostrophe:  With apostrophe, a speaker directly addresses an inanimate object, an abstract concept, or a person who is either imaginary or not present. John Donne use apostrophe in his poem “ Holy Sonnet: Death, be not proud ,” wherein he speaks directly to a personified idea of death.
• Chiasmus:  This is a scheme where the second half of an expression is balanced against the first half in a reversed order. “You should eat to live, not live to eat” is one example; it repeats the words  eat  and  live  but reverses the order the second time they occur.
• Euphemism:  This literary device takes a mild or indirect word or expression and replaces something harsh, unpleasant, or offensive with it. Saying someone  passed on  is a euphemism for  died ;  powder my nose  is a euphemism for  go to the bathroom .
• Hyperbole:  This is the use of exaggeration for emphasis or heightened effect. “If I don’t nap right now, I will die” is a hyperbolic statement; it conveys the experience of feeling tired, but readers understand the speaker won’t literally die.
• Irony:  This literary device occurs when words are used to convey the opposite of their meaning or when a situation seems directly contrary to what is expected. Famously, Alanis Morissette’s song “Ironic” lists many situations she deems ironic when they aren’t ironic at all; thus, irony.
• Litotes:  This figure of speech refers to a type of understatement. It is used to negate a statement in a way that actually affirms it. For example, saying “That’s no small chunk of change” indicates that the sum in question is, in fact, large.
• Metaphor :  A form of trope, metaphors make an implicit comparison between two unrelated things. “Love is a battlefield” is metaphoric, as it implies the experience of being in love is the same as being on a battlefield.
• Onomatopoeia :  Words that are onomatopoeic evoke the sounds of the thing they are referring to.  Hiss ,  crash , and  tick tock  are all examples because they sound like what they are describing—the sound of a snake, thunder, and a clock, respectively.
• Oxymoron:  This literary device consists of contradictory words paired together. Although the words initially appear to negate each other, they make sense when joined.  Deafening silence  is an oxymoronic pair; the adjective  deafening  means “a volume so high that nothing can be heard over it,” and the noun  silence  means “without sound.” These words are incongruous, but together they mean an overbearing, noticeable absence of sound.
• Personification:  When greater qualities of animation are given to a non-human or inanimate object, that is personification. In T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” fog is described as “The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes/The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes.” Here, Eliot is personifying the fog by giving it the attributes of a cat.
• Pun :  This is a humorous play on words, often using homonyms, homographs, or homophones. For example, “I’ve been to the dentist many times, so I know the drill” is a pun; it plays with the double meaning of the word  drill  as a tool of the dentistry trade and as a concept of something being routine.
• Simile :  Related to metaphors, similes are explicit comparisons made using the words  like  or  as . “Lucille’s dress was as red as a fire truck” makes an explicit comparison between the color of the dress and the color of a fire truck. This allows the reader to properly visualize what Lucille is wearing.
• Synecdoche:  This is a figure of speech wherein a part of something stands in for the whole thing. “All hands on deck” is a synecdoche because  hands  stands in for the whole crew of a ship.”

Figure of Speech and Figurative Language

People often use the terms  figurative language  and  figure of speech  interchangeably; however, they are not the same. Instead, figurative language is a broad category that contains figures of speech, as well as  imagery  and  sound devices .

Imagery adds additional aesthetic resonance to texts through the evocation of sensory details. Sound devices enhance the text through sonic means. These elements, in conjunction with figures of speech, give a deeper meaning to the language a writer uses in their work.

Why Figures of Speech Are Used

These literary devices emphasize, embellish, or clarify written or spoken language. They allow an audience to understand ideas through implied or suggested meaning, thus giving the language a more surprising, creative, and playful effect. Some figures of speech enhance imagery, while others allow writers to employ rich cultural traditions to express their ideas. Even further, other figures of speech allow writers to experiment with structure and sound to create specific effects. No matter which type is used, the expressive quality of figures of speech helps keep audiences engaged.

Examples of Figures of Speech in Literature

1. Hafizah Geter, “ Testimony ”

Geter begins her  poem :

Mr. President,

After they shot me they tackled my sister.

the sound of her knees hitting the sidewalk

made my stomach ache. It was a bad pain.

The poem is a  dramatic monologue  spoken by Tamir Rice, a 12-year old black child who was killed by police officers who mistook his toy gun for a real one. This poem uses apostrophe as the speaker, Tamir, talks directly to “Mr. President” (then president Barack Obama).

2. William Shakespeare,   Macbeth

In Act III, Scene iii., of this play, before King Duncan’s murder is discovered, Lennox and Macbeth converse:

LENNOX: The night has been unruly: where we lay,

Our chimneys were blown down: and, as they say,

Lamentings heard i’the air; strange screams of death,

And prophesying with accents terrible

Of fire combustion and confused events

New hatch’d to the woeful time: the obscure bird

Clamour’d the livelong night: some say, the earth

Was feverous and did shake.

MACBETH: ‘Twas a rough night.

LENNOX: My young remembrance cannot parallel

A fellow to it.

Pathetic fallacy is a type of trope. It occurs when human feelings and attributes are ascribed to nature. This figure of speech is used throughout this  Shakespearean  tragedy. In this particular scene, Lennox describes how terrible and strange the weather was on the evening of the murder. The way the wind and earth seem to embody the horror of King Duncan’s death is pathetic fallacy.

3. Karl Marx,   Das Kapital

In Part I (“Commodities and Money”) of Marx’s treatise on economics, philosophy, history, and political science, he claims:

In the pre-capitalist stages of society, commerce rules industry. In capitalist society, industry rules commerce.

These two sentences are an example of chiasmus. Here, “commerce” first rules “industry,” and then “industry” rules “commerce.” By reversing the order of these words/concepts, Marx employs chiasmus.

4. Toni Morrison,  Sula

The last line of Morrison’s novel is considered by some to be one of the best lines in fiction and nonfiction. The sentence describes protagonist Nel’s grief at the death of her childhood friend Sula:

It was a fine cry—loud and long—but it had no bottom and it had no top, just circles and circles of sorrow.

This sentence is rich in alliteration: “loud and long” contain  L  sounds at the beginning, as well as the repetition of  c  and  s  sounds with  cry ,  circles ,  circles , and  sorrow . The latter is also an example of sibilance.

5. Oscar Wilde,   The Importance of Being Earnest

In Wilde’s play, the main characters John Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff pose as men named Ernest, only for Jack to learn that his given name really is Ernest. He delivers the final line of the play:

On the contrary, Aunt Augusta, I’ve now realized for the first time in my life the vital importance of being Earnest.

Jack/Ernest’s declaration is a homographic pun. It means both that he understands the importance of being Ernest (his real name), as well as the importance of being  earnest  (sincere).

6. Aimee Nezhukumatathil, “ On Listening to Your Teacher Take Attendance ”

In this poem, Nezhukumatathil describes the experience of one’s name being mispronounced by a teacher taking attendance:

everyone turns around to check out

your face, no need to flush red and warm.

Just picture all the eyes as if your classroom

is one big scallop with its dozens of icy blues

and you will remember that winter your family

took you to the China see and you sank

your face in it to gaze at baby clams and sea stars

She uses a simile, “Just picture all the eyes as if your classroom/is one big scallop with its dozens of icy blues,” to explicitly compare the staring kids to the dozens of eyes that a sea scallop has.

Further Resources on Figure of Speech

Thought Catalog has a wonderful list of  figures of speech used by Homer Simpson  in  The Simpsons.

Jamcampus published a  great list  of twenty examples of metaphors in popular songs.

This is an entertaining round up of  oxymorons .

SuperSummary's library of resources and content , such as " A Beginner's Guide to Literary Analysis " and " How to Write a Summary ."

Related Terms

• Figurative language

What is Figure of Speech? Definition, Examples of Figures of Speech

Home » The Writer’s Dictionary » What is Figure of Speech? Definition, Examples of Figures of Speech

Figure of speech definition: Figure of speech is the use of language to add richness to the literal meaning of words.

Common Figures of Speech

Here are some common figures of speech:

Metaphor : A metaphor is the comparison of two unlike things without the use of like or as.

• In this sentence, we have the metaphor “boy was a wild animal”. The boy is being compared to a wild animal because of his behavior in the store.

Simile : A simile is the comparison between two unlike things using such words as like, as, or so.

• In this sentence, we have the simile “boy was like a ninja”. The young boy’s stealthy behavior is being compared to that of a ninja. It is a simile rather than a metaphor because the word “like” was included.

Hyperbole : A hyperbole is an over exaggeration.

• In this example, the hyperbole is the over exaggeration of hunger that Ashley has after her day of swimming, for she is not literally as hungry as a hippo.

Personification : Personification is when human traits are given to anything nonhuman.

• Here, the sun is being given the human trait of smiling.

The Function of Figures of Speech

The purpose of using figures of speech is to add richness to writing that will have an effect on the reader. By using these comparisons, it allows the reader to have a greater understanding and ability to imagine the situations being described in the writing.

How Figures of Speech are Used in Literature

Here are some examples of figures of speech in literature:

In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet , he uses a metaphor in the famous balcony scene. Romeo exclaims, “But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? / It is the east and Juliet is the sun”.

• “Juliet is the sun” = metaphor
• This metaphor is used to emphasis the overwhelming brightness of Juliet’s beauty.

In James Hurst’s short story The Scarlet Ibis , he uses a simile to set the somber mood at the beginning of the story, “the oriole nest in the elm was untenanted and rocked back and forth like an empty cradle”.

• “Oriole nest…rocked back and forth like an empty cradle” = simile
• This simile is used to create a somber mood by comparing the movement of the nest to that of an empty cradle, which has a negative connotation associated with it.

The Scarlet Ibis also includes examples of hyperbole . Hurst writes, “We danced together quite well until she came down on my big toe with her brogans, hurting me so badly I thought I was crippled for life”.

• “hurting me so badly I thought I was crippled for life” = hyperbole
• This hyperbole is used to exaggerate the pain felt by the young child when his aunt stepped on his toe while dancing.

In Eric Litwin’s Pete the Cat series, personification is used with the starring character, Pete. In the book I Love My White Shoes, he writes, “Did Pete cry? Goodness, no! He kept walking along and singing his song”.

• In this example, a cat is given human traits such as singing. Many children’s book employ personification due to the inclusion of nonhuman characters.

Summary: What Does Figure of Speech Mean?

Define figure of speech mean? In summation, figures of speech are used to add richness and imagery to a work of literature in order to achieve an effect for the reader.

Final example,

In Pat Mora’s poem “Old Snake”, it states “Leave / those doubts and hurts / buzzing like flies in your ears”.

• “doubts and hurts / buzzing like flies in your ears” = simile

This simile is used to compare the left behind worries to just a buzz in the ear like a fly. A comparison to a fly is used because flies are often seen as an annoyance just like having constant doubt or worry.

Figure of Speech

Figures of Speech

Meaning | Definition

A figure of speech is a phrase or word used in a non-literal sense for rhetorical or rich effect. It is an expression that is different from its literal meaning.

A figure of speech is a way of describing something or someone interestingly and vividly. The words or phrases may not mean exactly what they suggest, but they paint a clear picture in the mind of the reader or listener. A figure of speech can be in the form of a phrase or a single word. The figures of speech are also knowns as rhetorical figures.

Figure of speech is easier to understand than an idiom as you do not have to be familiar with the language to decipher it. Every language has its figures of speech and idioms that are own to that language. They are used to make writing more interesting.

There are many types of figures of speech in the English language, but we are going to learn the most common types.

All Types of Figure of Speech List

Alliteration, personification, onomatopoeia, rhetorical questions, three part list (rule of three), circumlocution (or periphrasis), irony – (sarcasm), parentheses, exclamation, interrogation, transferred epithets.

Alliteration is a figure of speech in which two usually consecutive words begin with the same consonant sound but not always the same latter.

The word doesn’t always have to be right next to each other, but when you say or read them, the sound is repeated.

For example, four fabulous fish and go and gather the flowers on the grass .

Alliteration helps us to make what we say or write more interesting to listen to or read. Writers and poets use alliteration to make their writing memorable and fun to read. Read the list of alliterative phrases below.

Alliteration Examples

• cold coffee
• happy Harry
• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
• She sells sea shells on the sea shore
• Becky’s beagle barked and bayed, which bothered Billy
• Donald Duck
• Jackrabbits jump and jiggle jauntily

There are many, many more you will see – and many new ones you can make up – as you do the practice.

We use metaphors all the time. Suppose when your Mummy says, “This house is a zoo!” she doesn’t mean that it is the place where animal lives. She just means that everyone in the house is as noisy as a bunch of animals would be.

She’s using the zoo as a metaphor for the house, she’s describing the house as if were a zoo, to make the comparison clear.

It’s great fun to use metaphors because they make what we say more colourful and people can understand what we are trying to tell them better.

Metaphors Examples

Look at this list of metaphors and what they mean. It will get you started.

• dirty pig – very filthy
• having two left feet – very bad dancer
• to get cold feet – to become nervous
• to be an early bird – to reach first or earliest
• pearls of wisdom – wise words

Personification is giving human qualities to something that may not be human, or even alive.

For example, when you say: “The flowers nodded their head cheerfully.”

What you mean here is that the flowers moved about in the wind looking as if they were cheerful and happy. You’re imagining that  the flowers have human emotions.

Personification Examples

• laughing flowers
• howling wind
• smiling sun
• opportunity knocking at the door

This is a big word that just means words that imitate sounds. Pitter-patter is an example of onomatopoeia. It mimics the sound of rain or maybe little feet.

The word tinkle is also onomatopoeia. It mimics the sound of a bell or falling water.

We use onomatopoeia all the time in our everyday speech. Poets and writers use this figure of speech to make their writing more expressive too.

Onomatopoeia Examples

A simile is a figure of speech in which two things are directly compared. We use the word like or as to make the comparison.

• as dark as the night
• as cool as a cucumber
• fought like cats and dogs
• eat like a horse

The four phrases above are all similes. The beauty of a simile is that it helps us imagine clearly what the writer is trying to say. Poets and writers use similes to make their writing come alive.

Similes Examples

• as blind as a bat
• as bold as brass
• as bright as a button
• as black as coal
• as clear as crystal
• as cold as ice

An oxymoron brings two conflicting ideas together. We use them to draw attention from the reader/listener. Two words with apparently contradictory meanings are combined to form a new word that is more in conjunction.

Oxymoron Examples

• alone together
• deafening silence
• bittersweet
• living dead

Hyperbole means using exaggerated statements for effect . The media and politicians often use hyperbole to make their articles or speeches more attention grabbing or seem more important bigger, better and more interesting.

Hyperbole Examples

• I have told you a million times not to get your shoes dirty.
• Jake’s mum always cooks enough food to feed an army.
• What have you got in this suitcase; it weighs a ton?
• I am so hungry I could eat a horse.

This is when a phrase is overused and loses impact and lacks original thought. Using a cliche can be seen as old fashioned or even a sign of poor writing as they are expressions that have been used too often and are no longer relevant or interesting.

Cliché Examples

• A women’s place is in the kitchen.
• And they all lived happily ever after.
• All that glitters is not gold .
• All is fair in love and war .

Repetition is when a word or phrase is repeated for effect or emphasis . Teachers often teach things like times tables by repetition and musicians repeat choruses in songs. A good example is Martin Luther King’s – ‘I have a dream’ speech.

Repetition Examples

• I’m telling you I won’t do it; I simply won’t do it.
• Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
• He told me about it, years and years and years ago.
• Home sweet home.

This type of question doesn’t require an answer as it has been phrased in a way that assumes the reader or listener knows the answer. Public speakers and politicians use rhetorical questions for dramatic effect or to get a point across and not because they expect an answer. The answer is usually obvious, or they think it is.

Rhetorical Question Examples

• Can pigs fly ?
• Is the Pope a Catholic?
• Is this supposed to be some kind of joke?
• We don’t need any more failure, do we?

These are commonly used in advertising and speeches to grab attention and give emphasis . Three parts seems more comprehensive and knowledgeable than two it seems.

Three Part List Examples

• Snap, crackle and pop.
• I came, I saw, I conquered. (Veni, vidi, vici – Julius Caesar)
• I put my blood, sweat and tears into that project.
• Hear all, see all, say nowt (nothing).

This is when words have a similar ending sound . It is usually seen most often in poetry and song lyrics but is also in advertising and public speeches. The rhyming words stand out.

Rhyme Examples

• Try before you buy.
• Birds of a feather, stick together.
• Kids and grown-ups love it so, the happy world of Haribo.

A euphemism is an indirect or innocuous word or phrase used instead of something considered unpleasant, harsh or sensitive, or embarrassing. It is often intended to amuse or downplay something that the speaker deems offensive or upsetting somehow. They may be used to cover profanity or sensitive subjects such as gender, disability, and death in a polite manner.

Euphemism Examples

• Friendly fire (attack from allied forces)
• He is telling us a tall story (a lie)
• Senior citizen (old person)
• Staff restructure (making people redundant)

Litotes is an understatement , usually involving a hint of irony. Instead of saying something simple or obvious, a phrase contrary to the truth is used.

Litotes Examples

• It’s hardly rocket science is it? (often said when a task is very simple)
• The weather isn’t so good today. (Said during a thunder-storm)
• She’s no spring chicken. (meaning someone is not young)
• He’s not exactly a beggar. (He’s financially solvent)

Circumlocution (also called circumduction, circumvolution, periphrasis, kenning or ambage) is the unnecessary use of many words , when fewer would be more appropriate. An idea or subject is circled, talked around, or avoided altogether instead of directly referencing it.

Circumlocution Examples

• I work 9am to 2pm on Mondays and Wednesdays. (I work part time)
• He resides in a refurbished Victorian establishment on the edge of town. (He lives in a terraced house)
• Our Lord in heaven, the holy father. (God)
• The vehicle that I own is a fabulous shade of metallic dark turquoise. (My car is blue)

It is saying the same thing twice using different words. It is a way of adding emphasis or clarity but can come across as being unnecessarily wordy.

Tautology Examples

• Sally told everyone with pride that she had made the handmade sweater herself .
• The kids always take turns to answer the questions one after the other .
• She’s in the middle of reading Michelle Obama’s autobiography about her life story .
• They climbed up to the top of Kilimanjaro all the way to the summit.

Pun is a play on words as it is usually a jokey way of exploiting the fact that some words sound alike or have more than one meaning or spelling. They rely heavily on homophones and homonyms to work.

Pun Examples

• The chicken farmers favourite car is a coupe.
• He’s been to see his dentist so many times now that he knows the drill.
• I’ve forgotten where my wife said we were going, don’t worry, Alaska.
• The cyclist was two tired to win the race.

An epigram is a clever, witty, or satirical phrase or line of poetry. It is usually expressing an ingenious, paradoxical, memorable, or amusing idea.

Epigram Examples

• I can resist everything but temptation – Oscar Wilde
• There is only one thing worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.
• Winners never quit, and quitters never win.
• For most of history, Anonymous was a woman – Virginia Woolf

This is from the Greek word klimax, meaning staircase or ladder. In narrative the words or clauses are arranged to build tension or drama to a peak (main part of the story) and get the undivided attention of the audience. The reader is mentally preparing for the climax of the story as the conflict or tension rises and finally reaches resolution.

Most films, books, plays or anecdotes have conflict/drama which reaches a climax and then is resolved by the end of the narrative.

Climax Examples

• Titanic – Think of the rising tension as the ship hits the ice-burg and starts to sink. The water everywhere and people screaming, running trying to save themselves or find family members. The intrigue builds until finally the ship slips below the surface and there is shock and disbelief at the sad a sorry, survivors left floating above.
• Martin Luther King – His ‘I have a dream speech’ builds in tension and reaches this climax:- A promise that all men, yes black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the “unalienable Rights” of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
• Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet has many plot twists and rising tension in the form of family conflicts, love, murder, and finally death.

A subtle form of humour involving words opposing to what is actually meant. Irony can fall into three categories.

Verbal irony – Saying one thing and meaning something else, usually the opposite of what is said. Example :  Saying that you couldn’t possibly eat another thing, then reaching for some more cake.

Dramatic irony – This is when the audience is more aware of the plotline than the characters. Example : In Shakespeare’s Macbeth – While Duncan thinks Macbeth is faithful to him, Macbeth is actually plotting to murder him. The audience knows this, but Duncan doesn’t.

Situational irony – This is when something happens that is completely contrary to what is expected. Often with an element of shock or surprise. Example : winning the lottery and dying the day after. (Listen to Ironic by Alanis Morrisette for many more examples)

This is the exact opposite of something or when two things contrast greatly.

Antithesis Examples

• One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind – Neil Armstrong 1969
• Many are called, but few are chosen. Matthew 22:14
• It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. – Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

Assonance is the repetition of the same vowel sounds in a phrase or sentence.

Assonance Examples

• W e rec ei ved thr ee e mails ea ch w ee k.
• The r ai n in Sp ai n, st a ys m ai nly on the pl ai n. (From the musical ‘My Fair Lady’)
• Hear the m e llow w e dding b e lls. (The Bells – Edgar Allen Poe)

Consonance is the repetition of the same consonant sound in a phrase or sentence.

Consonance Examples

• The rain pitter pattered in the puddle.
• The cook cooked the cutest cupcakes.
• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

Anastrophe is a deliberate change of normal word order for emphasis.

Anastrophe Examples

• The greatest teacher, failure is. – Yoda (Star Wars)
• Into the lake the jeep drove.
• One swallow a summer does not make.

A logosglyph is a word that looks like what it represents .

Logosglyph Examples

• She had eyes like pools . (The word eye looks like a pair of eyes with a ‘y’ for a nose and the double ‘oo’ in pools actually looks round like eyes and pools)
• The word bed actually looks like a bed.

A way of comparing things based on ways they are similar. This is to show the similarity without explaining.

Analogy Examples

• Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get. (From Forrest Gump)
• He is strong as an ox.
• She’s as quiet as a mouse.

Paradox is a statement containing two opposing facts that seems impossible, contradictory or absurd but might turn out to be true.

Paradox Examples

• I must be cruel, only to be kind—Hamlet by Shakespeare.
• Nobody goes to the seaside at the weekend, because it’s too crowded.
• Youth is wasted on the young.

Something that is added to a statement to provide extra information or an explanation. This is often separated from the main clause by brackets, commas, or dashes.

Parentheses Examples

• His older brother, the one with six kids, will be visiting next week.
• Sean Mullins (last year’s winner) is the current favourite to win.
• The singer – and her backing band – arrived two hours late.

A statement punctuated with an exclamation mark is conveying strong emotion or excitement.

Exclamation Examples

• Ouch! That really hurt!
• You just made me jump out of my skin!
• It’s a girl!

This is a sentence that asks a direct question and is punctuated with a question mark.

Interrogation Examples

• What is the capital of Canada?
• Shall we invite the neighbours around for a barbeque tomorrow?
• Where are my car keys?

This is when a part of something is used instead of the whole.

Synecdoche Examples

• He took us for a spin in his new wheels. (Wheels = car)
• There are hundreds of boots on the ground searching for the fugitives. (Boots = soldiers or police)
• There was no comment from The White House . (The White House = The President)

Metonymy replaces a word or phrase with something related or associated to it.

Metonymy Examples

• Have you seen the latest Hollywood blockbuster? (Hollywood = the whole of the film industry)
• The crown is not able to take political a side. (crown = the queen or royal family)
• The press is going to have a field day. (press = all news organizations)

Dialect is the way people talk in a particular region. In literature, this involves representing speech in the way it actually sounds with phonetic spelling, missing words, and unusual grammar.

Dialect Examples

• I told ‘er she wer wrong, innit?  (I told her she was wrong, didn’t I?)
• Howdy Y’all!  (Hello everybody!)
• Am gonna nae do that. (I’m not going to do that)

It is when we combine an incongruous adverb or adjective with an incongruous noun .

Transferred Epithets Examples

• They got divorced after years in an unhappy marriage .
• I balanced a thoughtful lump of sugar on the teaspoon. – P. G. Woodhouse.
• The farmer plodded along the weary lane .

Origin of Figure of Speech

Every figure of speech has a different origin. It is not clear where the phrase “figure of speech” comes from. The earliest use of figures of speech is found in the Bible, so it is clear that they have been around for hundreds of years. The most commonly used ones in the Bible are similes. This means that one thing is used in place of another. For example, ‘God is light.’

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figure of speech

noun phrase

Definition of figure of speech, examples of figure of speech in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'figure of speech.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1751, in the meaning defined above

Articles Related to figure of speech

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Dictionary Entries Near figure of speech

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Cite this Entry

“Figure of speech.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/figure%20of%20speech. Accessed 22 May. 2024.

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What Are Figures of Speech? Definition & 100+ Examples

Have you ever pondered how our words can paint vivid pictures, evoke intense emotions, or transport us to magical realms? Welcome to the enchanting world of figures of speech! As the spices of language, these expressive tools bring flavor to our conversations and help us articulate our thoughts with creativity and flair.

Join us as we embark on this exciting linguistic adventure, and unlock the secrets to using figures of speech effectively. Whether you’re a writer, a speaker, or simply someone who loves the art of language, this exploration promises to enlighten and inspire.

So grab your metaphorical paintbrush, and get ready to turn your words into a masterpiece!

Table of Contents

Figures of Speech: Definition

Figures of speech are expressive language devices used to add color, depth, and creativity to our communication. They go beyond the literal meaning of words and phrases, employing stylistic and imaginative techniques to convey ideas more vividly and engagingly.

By intentionally manipulating words and phrases, figures of speech create richer and more impactful expressions, giving language its poetic, persuasive, and emotive qualities.

Figures of speech breathe life into our language, making it more engaging and memorable. They enable us to paint vivid images, evoke emotions, and convey complex ideas with clarity and impact.

Types of Figures of Speech

There are numerous figures of speech, each serving a unique purpose in enhancing the beauty and expressiveness of language. Here are some of the types:

A metaphor is a powerful figure of speech that allows us to make connections between two dissimilar things by asserting that one thing is another. By drawing attention to a shared characteristic, metaphors create vivid images, enhance understanding, and enrich language. Unlike similes, metaphors don’t use comparative words such as “like” or “as.”

Here are some examples of metaphors and their meanings:

A simile is a figure of speech that compares two distinct things by using the words “like” or “as” to establish a connection. By highlighting a shared quality or characteristic, similes create vivid images and enhance the reader’s or listener’s understanding of the subject.

While metaphors make direct comparisons without using comparative words, similes explicitly use “like” or “as” to draw attention to the similarity between the two things being compared.

Here are some examples of similes and their meanings:

Hyperbole is a figure of speech that employs intentional exaggeration to create emphasis, drama, or humor. By magnifying a particular quality or characteristic, hyperboles draw attention to the subject and evoke strong emotions.

Although not meant to be taken literally, hyperboles effectively convey the intensity or extremity of a situation or feeling, enriching language and engaging the reader or listener.

Here are some examples of hyperboles and their meanings:

Alliteration

Alliteration is a figure of speech that features the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. Often used in poetry, prose, and tongue twisters, alliteration adds a rhythmic and musical quality to language, making it more memorable and engaging.

Here are some examples of alliteration:

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two seemingly contradictory or opposing terms to create a new concept or expression. By juxtaposing these contrasting words, oxymorons emphasize contrast, create paradoxes, and evoke curiosity or surprise in the reader.

They can also add depth, complexity, or humor to language, highlighting the nuances and contradictions in human experience.

Here are some examples of oxymorons:

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia refers to words that imitate or sound like the action they describe. This figure of speech is commonly used in poetry and helps to convey a more vivid image to the reader.

Here are some examples of onomatopoeia:

Personification

Personification is a figure of speech that attributes human qualities, emotions, or actions to non-human objects, animals, or abstract concepts.

By giving human characteristics to inanimate objects or intangible ideas, personification helps to create vivid imagery, evoke emotions, and make abstract concepts more relatable and engaging for the reader or listener.

It is frequently used in poetry, prose, and other forms of creative expression to enhance the impact and appeal of language.

Here are some examples of personification:

A pun is a form of wordplay that exploits the multiple meanings or similar sounds of words to create humor, irony, or rhetorical impact. Puns often rely on homophones (words that sound alike but have different meanings) or homonyms (words that have the same spelling and pronunciation but different meanings).

They can be used to create jokes, add levity, or bring attention to a particular idea or concept. Puns are a popular form of humor in literature, advertising, and everyday conversation.

Here are some examples of puns:

Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the whole, or conversely, the whole is used to represent a part. This literary device allows writers and speakers to create emphasis or simplification by using a representative term, making their language more concise, vivid, and engaging.

Synecdoche is commonly used in poetry, prose, and everyday speech to create impactful imagery and evoke emotions.

Here are some examples of synecdoche:

Irony is a figure of speech that uses words to convey a meaning that is opposite to or different from their literal or usual meaning, often to create humor, critique, or emphasize a point.

Irony highlights the discrepancy between what is said or expected and what actually occurs or is meant. It is commonly used in literature, conversation, and other forms of communication to engage the audience and provoke thought.

There are several types of irony, including verbal, situational, and dramatic irony.

Here are some examples of irony:

Litotes is a figure of speech that employs understatement or a double negative to emphasize a point or convey a positive meaning. By presenting a statement in a weaker or more modest form, litotes highlights the intended meaning through contrast or irony.

This rhetorical device is frequently used in literature, speeches, and everyday language to create emphasis, evoke humor, or express modesty and politeness.

Here are some examples of litotes:

Metonymy is a figure of speech in which a closely associated but non-literal term is substituted for the word it is intended to represent. This rhetorical device allows writers and speakers to create emphasis or simplification by using a representative term or symbol, making their language more concise, vivid, and engaging.

Metonymy is commonly used in poetry, prose, and everyday speech to create impactful imagery and evoke emotions.

Here are some examples of metonymy:

A euphemism is a figure of speech in which a mild or indirect expression is substituted for a harsh, blunt, or offensive one. This rhetorical device allows writers and speakers to convey sensitive or potentially uncomfortable information in a more delicate or polite manner.

Euphemisms are often used to address taboo subjects, unpleasant situations, or impolite language, helping to maintain a sense of decorum and respect in communication.

Here are some examples of euphemisms:

Antithesis is a figure of speech that places two opposing or contrasting ideas side by side to create a clear, contrasting relationship or an intense effect. This rhetorical device emphasizes the differences between the ideas and enhances the impact of both concepts by using their contrast to create a striking and memorable image or statement.

Antithesis is often used in literature, speeches, and other forms of communication to engage the audience, provoke thought, and highlight the complexity or depth of an idea.

Here are some examples of antithesis:

Apostrophe is a figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, an abstract concept, or a personified object. This rhetorical device allows writers and speakers to create a more emotional, intimate, or dramatic effect in their work, engaging the audience and evoking strong feelings.

Apostrophe is often used in literature, particularly poetry and drama, to convey deep emotions, personal reflections, or powerful messages.

Here are some examples of apostrophe:

Understatement

Understatement is a figure of speech that deliberately minimizes the importance or impact of something, often for humorous or ironic effect. This rhetorical device allows writers and speakers to convey their message in a subtle, indirect manner, emphasizing their point by downplaying its significance.

Understatement is often used in literature, speeches, and everyday conversations to create humor, irony, or to heighten the impact of a situation by contrasting it with its mild description.

Here are some examples of understatement:

A paradox is a figure of speech that presents a statement or situation that seems contradictory or illogical but can hold a deeper meaning or truth. This rhetorical device challenges the reader or listener to think beyond the surface and find a more profound understanding or insight.

Paradoxes are often used in literature, philosophy, and everyday language to create intrigue, provoke thought, and reveal the complexity of ideas or situations.

Here are some examples of paradox:

Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in non-rhyming words, often used to create internal rhymes and enhance the rhythm in poetry or prose. This figure of speech contributes to the musicality, mood, and overall atmosphere of a piece, making it more engaging and memorable for the reader or listener.

Assonance can also be employed for emphasis, to draw attention to certain words or ideas, and to create a sense of cohesion within a text.

Here are some examples of assonance:

Anaphora is a figure of speech involving the repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of consecutive clauses or sentences to emphasize an idea, create a sense of rhythm, and reinforce a particular point.

This rhetorical device is commonly used in poetry, speeches, and prose to establish a pattern, evoke emotion, and make a message more memorable and powerful.

Here are some examples of anaphora:

Chiasmus is a figure of speech where the order of words in one phrase is reversed in the following phrase, creating a mirrored or inverted structure. This rhetorical device is used to create emphasis, balance, and contrast, making a message more memorable and impactful.

Chiasmus is often found in literature, speeches, and everyday language to convey a sense of symmetry, harmony, or irony.

Here are some examples of chiasmus:

Figurative Language in Literature and Writing

Figurative language is a crucial aspect of literature and writing, serving to create vivid images and engaging scenes for readers.

It is commonly used in poetry, prose, and other forms of writing to enhance the narrative and provide deeper meaning. By employing various literary devices and wordplay, writers can evoke emotions, provoke thought, and create memorable experiences for their readers.

One of the primary purposes of figurative language is to convey abstract ideas and concepts through concrete images. Writers often use metaphors, similes, and personification to create connections between seemingly unrelated subjects.

Another common technique employed in literature and writing is the use of symbolism, where objects, characters, or events represent abstract ideas or concepts.

This can contribute to the development of themes, the exploration of human experiences, and the layering of meaning throughout a narrative. For example, a recurring motif of birds may symbolize freedom, while a shattered mirror may represent broken relationships.

Wordplay, such as puns, alliteration, and onomatopoeia, also enriches literary works and adds an element of sophistication to writing. These devices showcase the writer’s mastery of language and provide additional layers of interpretation for readers.

Using Figures of Speech in Writing: Strategies

Figures of speech are essential tools that writers use to refine their craft and convey meaning effectively. They can enrich writing by providing additional layers of meaning and enlivening prose by introducing distinctive language patterns.

One strategy for using figures of speech is to incorporate various literary devices such as similes, metaphors, and personification in text. These tropes allow writers to make comparisons that evoke strong mental images, enhancing the reader’s understanding of the content.

Another effective approach is to incorporate elements of grammar and structure, such as alliteration, anaphora, or chiasmus, to create memorable and captivating patterns in writing.

Incorporating irony, sarcasm, or understatement in text can also help writers convey meaning in a subtle, witty, or humorous manner. These figures of speech add another dimension to the narrative by contrasting what is said with what is meant or what is expected.

Lastly, it is crucial for writers to understand their audience and consider the context in which the writing will be read. Tropes that work well for one audience might not resonate with another, and overusing figures of speech may hinder understanding or distract from the message being conveyed.

Related Terms and Concepts

In the realm of figures of speech, several related terms and concepts can be found. These terms help clarify the various devices and techniques that contribute to a more evocative and effective use of language.

Circumlocution is a figure of speech in which a speaker or writer uses more words than necessary to express an idea, often with the purpose of avoiding a direct statement. Examples of circumlocution can be found in politics, science, and everyday conversation. It can be a useful tool in crafting an evasive response, obscuring a truth or maintaining diplomatic neutrality.

Pleonasm refers to the use of redundant words or phrases in a sentence. This figure of speech may seem superfluous, but it can be used intentionally to emphasize a point or create a specific effect. In some cases, pleonasm can add lyrical or rhythmic qualities to a phrase, as in poetry.

Epigram is a brief, witty, and often satirical statement that conveys a thought or observation in a concise and memorable way. Epigrams are often used in literature and social commentary to offer insight or provoke thought. Examples of epigrams can be found across diverse literary works, from ancient Greek and Roman texts to the modern-day writings of prominent authors.

Schemes refer to the arrangement of words and phrases in a sentence or paragraph, focusing on syntax and structure. These rhetorical devices can elevate language by creating patterns, contrasts, or emphasis.

Some common examples of schemes include parallelism, chiasmus, and antithesis. Schemes can be powerful tools in crafting engaging and meaningful writing across numerous fields, from science to poetry.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a figure of speech and a literary device.

A figure of speech is a type of literary device that uses words or expressions in a non-literal or metaphorical way to create a particular effect, such as imagery, emphasis, or emotional impact.

Literary devices, on the other hand, are a broader category that encompasses various techniques and tools used by writers to enhance their work, create meaning, and engage readers.

Figures of speech are a subset of literary devices, which also include elements like symbolism, irony, foreshadowing, and alliteration.

Can using too many figures of speech be detrimental to communication?

While figures of speech can enrich language and make it more engaging, using too many of them can be detrimental to communication.

Overuse of figures of speech can make a text overly complicated, obscure the intended meaning, and even confuse or alienate readers who are unfamiliar with the expressions being used.

It’s essential to strike a balance between using figures of speech for stylistic effect and maintaining clarity and accessibility in communication.

Can understanding figures of speech improve critical thinking skills?

Yes, understanding figures of speech can contribute to the development of critical thinking skills.

By learning to identify and analyze various rhetorical devices in language, you become more adept at recognizing the underlying ideas, assumptions, and emotions that inform a message.

This heightened awareness can help you evaluate the validity and persuasiveness of arguments, identify potential biases or manipulative language, and make more informed decisions based on the information you encounter.

Can the use of figures of speech affect the tone of a piece of writing?

Yes, the use of figures of speech can significantly affect the tone of a piece of writing. Depending on the specific figure of speech used and the context, it can evoke various emotions, create a sense of humor, or convey a sense of seriousness or formality.

For instance, using a hyperbole can create a sense of exaggeration or humor, while employing a metaphor can add depth or poignancy to a description.

The choice and frequency of figures of speech can help establish the overall tone and style of a piece of writing, shaping the reader’s perception and experience of the text.

Figures of speech are versatile and powerful tools that breathe life into language, enabling writers and speakers to create vivid imagery, evoke emotions, and engage their audience.

By using various rhetorical devices such as metaphor, simile, personification, irony, and litotes, communicators can express ideas in creative, memorable, and impactful ways.

The artful application of figures of speech not only enriches language but also helps to forge connections between the communicator and their audience, ultimately elevating the quality and resonance of any form of communication.

Embrace the world of figures of speech, and watch your language take flight!

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50 Figures of Speech (Types & Examples)

What are figures of speech.

Figures of speech are creative rhetorical devices that go beyond literal meaning. They make the language more colorful and impactful. These figures of speech allow the writers to convey ideas and imagery in an imaginative and unconventional way through comparisons, associations and plays on words. Some common examples include similes, metaphors, hyperbole, personification, oxymoron’s and alliteration. Skillful use of rhetorical devices brings vividness and flair to expression. These figures of speech make communication more engaging, memorable and expressive.

Importance of Figures of Speech

The figures of speech are important rhetorical device, that writers and speakers employ to enhance the power and impact of their language. The use of creative comparisons and vivid imagery engage the audience in memorable ways that literal language often lacks.

Figures of speech strengthen communication by using creative language to emphasize ideas in a more compelling way than plain speech alone. Their artful deviations from literal meaning make key points more memorable and impactful for audiences. Used strategically or just to infuse writing with imaginative flair, rhetorical devices ensure ideas resonate longer in the minds of the readers and listeners. In essence, by elevating functional language to an art form through their nuanced turns of phrase, figures of speech make messages more persuasive, engaging and unforgettable.

How to Find Figures of Speech in writing?

For finding figures of speech in the writing, it is necessary to look for words or phrases that are used in a non-literal way.

For example, if someone says ‘my heart is breaking’, he is using a metaphor to describe his emotions.

50 Figures Of Speech With Examples

Here is a list of 50 figures of speech used in English literature and daily communication:

1- Alliteration

Repetition of the same initial letter or sound in closely connected words. They could be uttered within a phrase of sentences, starting with the same sound of consonants but not necessarily being the same letter. Some examples of alliteration are:

• Peter’s pink pig
• She sells seashells
• Big bad wolf
• Sally sells seashells by the seashore

Example in literature

“the raven” by edgar allan poe.

“Once upon a midnight dreary.”

In the said context, the sound of ‘m ‘ has been alliterated with ‘midnight ‘ and ‘dreary’. The repetition of consonant sound creates a musical and effect. It enhances the gloomy atmosphere, which the write is trying to convey in the poem.

2- Anaphora

It is a type of amplification, wherein the words or phrases are reiterated in every clause, sentence and line. The word is used to stress an idea in a piece of writing or it serves as a connector.

• I came, I saw, I conquered.
• To be or not to be, that is the question.
• United we stand, divided we fall.

“A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness. It was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity. It was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness. It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

Dickens has used anaphora by repeating the phrase ‘it was’ at the beginning of each successive clause. He emphasizes the contrasting nature of the time period. The practice of anaphora is used to establish a unique mood and setting that stick in people’s minds to capture it as a whole.

3- Antithesis

It is a literary device, which is used to juxtapose the contrasting ideas in balanced phrases. It highlights opposition through parallel grammatical structures.

• The early bird catches the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
• You win some, you lose some.
• Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but out of sight is out of mind.

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

“ All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost”

The first line ‘All that is gold does not glitter’ sets up an expectation. The second line ‘Not all those who wander are lost’ subverts it with the opposite proposition. This creates an antithetical parallel structure that emphasizes the contrast between appearances/expectations and realities. Things are not always as they seem on the surface.

4- Apostrophe

A direct address to an absent or dead person, or to an object, quality, or idea. It is a rhetorical device used to engage or emotionally influence the audience.

• Stupid phone, why aren’t you charging?
• Come on feet, you can make it up the stairs!
• Thank you coffee for the caffeine boost.

“Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare

“O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.”

The rhetorical device gives an emotional outlet to Juliet and draws the audience deeper into her perspective. It underscores the tragedy of their star-crossed love and opposing families through Juliet’s anguished pleas. This example demonstrates how apostrophe can powerfully convey emotion and engagement when used skillfully in literary works like Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. It intensifies reader experience of the characters and themes.

5- Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words. It adds musicality and emphasis to speech or writing. Assonance creates cadences that can make utterances more memorable, soothing or impactful.

• Pick a pink peach please.
• Slowly she strode down the street.
• Do you need anything else?

“The King’s English” by Kingsley Amis

“The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.”

This famous tongue twister uses assonance extensively through the repetition of the “ai” sound in words like “rain”, “Spain”, “mainly”. The assonance highlights the difficulty in pronouncing the phrase quickly due to all the similar vowel sounds falling in close succession. It makes the sentence rhythmically challenging to say.

6- Allusion

A reference to a well-known person, place, event or work of art. It relies on the readers or listener’s background knowledge and cultural literacy. They allow speakers to colorfully draw on cultural knowledge without exposition.

• That plan is doomed like the Titanic.
• Don’t pull a Houdini on me!
• She’s no Mother Teresa.

“The American Crisis” by Thomas Paine

“These are the times that try men’s souls.”

This well-crafted allusion would resonate powerfully with educated readers, which reminds them of the challenges ahead in their fight for independence using a culturally significant reference. It illustrates how allusions can add profound layers of inferred meaning in literature by drawing on intertextual connections in an economy of words.

7- Anachronism

Something out of its normal time. It involves mentioning something from a different time period in a way that distorts the actual chronology.

• I was just watching some Netflix after work yesterday.
• Let me check my iPhone for the time.
• I’ll email you the details later today.

“Ulysses” by Alfred Tennyson

 “I cannot rest from travel: I will drink Life to the lees.”

Tennyson imagines the thoughts and desires of the Homeric hero Ulysses in his later years after returning home from the Trojan War. However, the language and ideas Tennyson attributes to Ulysses are anachronistic, as they reflect Victorian England in the 19th century rather than ancient Greece.

8- Anastrophe

The inversion of the usual order of words. It involves rearranging the structure of words or phrases for impact. It creates variety from the standard structures we expect. 

• Fed up am I with this traffic!
• Off to work go I.
• In the kitchen, what’s that noise?

“Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds, Towards Phoebus’ lodging! Such a wagoner As Phaëton would whip you to the west And bring in cloudy night immediately.”

Romeo uses anastrophe by rearranging the expected word order of ‘fiery-footed steeds’ to emphasize the speed and passion of the horses as they carry the sun across the sky. While inverting ‘fiery-footed steeds’ to ‘you fiery-footed steeds’, the writer draws attention to the horses through anastrophe and builds dramatic tension as Romeo anxiously awaits nightfall.

9- Antagonym

A word that can have opposite meanings. Here are the common antagonym examples:

• Sanction – This word can mean “to approve” or “to penalize.” Example A: “The manager sanctioned the purchase of new computers.” (Approved) Example B: “The UN threatened sanctions against the hostile nation.” (Penalized)
• Oversight – This word refers to an unintentional failure to notice something, or the act of overseeing/supervising. Example A: “The typo was due to an oversight by the editor.” (Failure to notice) Example B: “There will be governmental oversight of the program.” (Supervision)
• Left – This word indicates either “departed” or “remaining.” Example A: “Most of the cake was eaten, but some was left.” (Remaining) Example B: “The traveler left early in the morning.” (Departed)

10- Antimetabole

Antimetabole involves the repetition of a phrase or statement in a reversed sequence. 

Example in “Frankenstein” by Shelley

“I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on.”

The above excerpt illustrates the antimetabole literary device through a reversed order of repetition including “and trampled on, and kicked, and spurned at”. This shows how much Frankenstein’s monster is being mistreated and rejected by society.

11- Antonomasia

Antonomasia is the act of replacing the name of an individual with another word/phrase. This word simply represents aspects of character of a person. It is also used to highlight similarity or relation between two people or item.

• The term calling someone who is very organized “a Monica” in relation to the well manicured Monica Geller character from friends.
• Calling someone cunning, crafty and shrewd as Judas, in reference to the Judas Iscariot of the Bible, who beated Jesus.
• Suggesting that an innocent, mischievous troublesome child is a “Dennis the Menace”.

12- Asyndeton

The literary device of Asyndeton involves leaving out connective words like ‘and’ or ‘or’ among other conjunctions when a number of connected clauses follow one preceding clause. This allows for faster movement as well as highlights the importance of it.

• Essays must be submitted on time.
• The house was ready for living with the furniture in it, carpets laid on the floor, and curtains drawn.

13- Anadiplosis 

This is the repetition of the last word of a preceding clause at the beginning of the next one.

• Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.
• The environment, it is life and therefore we have to save it.
• I did everything I could. My best efforts were insufficient.
• You entered my world. My world has changed forever.

14- Chiasmus

Chiasmus is a rhetorical device in which two or more clauses are balanced against each other by the reversal of structures in order to produce a mirror effect.

• Fair is foul, and foul is fair. (Shakespeare’s Macbeth)
• You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget. (Cormac McCarthy, The Road)
• Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country. (John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address)

15- Catachresis

Catachresis is the use of a word in an incorrect way or in the wrong context for rhetorical effect.

• Using ‘blanket of snow’ to describe snow covering the ground, even though blankets do not look like snow.
• Referring to a loud noise as ‘deafening silence’ despite the contradiction between deafening and silence.
• Describing someone’s smile as ‘infectious’ even though smiles do not spread disease like an infection.

The climax refers to the most tense and dramatic part of the narrative in works of literature. This is the climax when tension attains its zenith and the conclusion of the tale begins. Following this is a resolution stage whereby the major conflicts in the story are solved and the fate of characters is ascertained. A fundamental part of structure that also helps generate tension in the story and hold on the attention of the reader or viewer.

Types of Climax

Emotional Climax: The moment comes when a subject becomes too frustrated and bursts out with an enormous amount of emotion leading to an unexpected ending.

Plot Climax: This is where the climax of the story takes place, where the conflict culminates, and the starting point for the resolution.

Social Climax: It happens when someone or some people climb to a top of social position in most cases by planned strategy.

17- Euphemism

A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt.

• Passed away instead of died
• Let go instead of fired
• Challenged instead of disabled

“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee

“Mrs. Dubose was a morphine addict,” said Atticus. “She took it as a pain-killer for years. The doctor put her on it. She’d have spent the rest of her life on it and died without so much agony, but she was too contrary—”

Here, words ‘addict and ‘pain killer’ have been used instead of direct terms like, ‘drug habit’ or ‘opiate addiction’. This may have been considered crude or inappropriate at the time. This allows the author to discuss Mrs. Dubose’s situation in a more genteel and less shocking way. He uses the euphemistic language rather than direct terminology.

18- Ellipsis

The omission of words necessary for complete grammatical construction but understood in the context.

• The European soldiers killed six of the remaining villagers, the American soldiers, two.

Example in Literature

“emma” by jane austen.

“He is very plain, undoubtedly—remarkably plain: but that is nothing compared with his entire want of gentility. I had no right to expect much, and I did not expect much; but I had no idea that he could be so very clownish, so totally without air. I had imagined him, I confess, a degree or two nearer gentility.”

Austen uses an ellipsis here when Harriet says “I had imagined him…a degree or two nearer gentility.” Harriet doesn’t finish her thought. The ellipsis shows that her words trail off hinting that she is uncomfortable admitting she hoped Mr. Martin would be more refined. This allows Austen to suggest Harriet’s embarrassment, without having her directly spell it out.

19- Enjambment

The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza in poetry.

“Sonnet 116” by William Shakespeare

“Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove.”

The writer employs the literary device of enjambment in the foresaid lines. Rather than pausing at the end of the line, the sentence continues into the next one without punctuation. This creates a flowing and lyrical feeling that mirrors the notion of love not being impeded.

20- Epistrophe

The repetition of a word at the end of successive clauses or sentences.

• Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth. (Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address)
• We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills (Winston Churchill’s speech to the House of Commons)

“I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, sons of former slaves and sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit together at the table of brotherhood.”

The use of epistrophe has been observed in “I have a dream” at the start of several different phrases. The repetitive nature of this technique underscores his idea about the future, and it helps make his words more poignant, inspiring and memorable. Every time King says “I have a dream” he refers to his wish that there should be harmony and equality in the United States. Anaphora (repeated phrase leading to clauses) of this aspirational sentence provides rhetorical force and rhythm of the speech to crescendo at emotional climax where King’s dreams of the nation are presented.

21- Euphony

The use of phrases and words that are noted for their mellifluousness and ease in speaking.

• The sounds of children’s laughter carried melodiously through the warm summer air.
• The babbling brook babbled pleasantly as it wound its way through the verdant meadow.

“Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens

The lilting euphony of the writing style matches Pip’s hopeful expectations as he journeys to Miss Havisham’s house for the first time:

“The mist was heavier yet when I got out upon the marshes, so that instead of my running at everything, everything seemed to run at me. This was very disagreeable to a guilty mind. The gates and dykes and banks came bursting at me through the mist, as if they cried as plainly as could be, ‘A boy with somebody else’s pork pie! Stop him!’”

The consonance and assonance create a musical, flowing quality to mimic Pip’s eager and optimistic young imagination, which emphasizes the theme of hope in the novel.

22- Epizeuxis 

The repetition of a word or phrase in immediate succession, typically within the same sentence, for vehemence or emphasis.

• Alone, alone, all, all alone, Alone on a wide, wide sea.
• Fight, fight for your rights and your freedom!

“Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare

Mark Antony repeats the words in his famous speech to emphasize his points and rouse the crowd:

“For Brutus is an honorable man; So are they all honorable men— Come I to speak at Caesar’s funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to me.”

The repetition of words ‘honorable’ and subsequently ‘faithful’ create stress qua the qualities of Caesar, while planting seeds of doubt through his epizeuxis. The repetition mimics the persuasive rhythm of a skillful orator whipping the crowds into an emotional frenzy over Caesar’s death.

23- Hyperbole

Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement or claim that is not meant to be taken literally, but instead used as a way to emphasize a point or evoke strong feelings.

• I’ve told you a million times to clean your room!
• The wait to get in was endless.

“Romeo and Juliet” by Shakespeare

“For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.”

When Romeo first lays eyes on Juliet, he goes overboard describing how he has never seen someone so beautiful before. He is basically exaggerating to show just how head-over-heels in love with her he is already. This total exaggeration about her sets things up for how their whole intense, doomed relationship story will go from here.

24- Hendiadys 

A figure of speech in which a single complex idea is expressed by two words connected with “and” rather than a noun and adjective.

• We listened to the poet’s wise and ancient words.
• The guests ate and drank until late in the evening.

“The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald

“Her voice is full of money—that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it.”

Here the words ‘jingle’ and ‘cymbals song’ express the musical quality of Daisy’s voice more vividly than just calling it ‘musical voice’. The pairing of synonymous nouns intensifies the quality being described.

25- Hypallage 

A figure of speech in which the syntactic relation between two terms is reversed. It is often used for poetic effect.

• “The heavy foot of time” instead of “the footfalls of heavy time”.
• The hungry stomach waited impatiently to be fed.

“Love Medicine” by Louise Erdrich

“The windswept plain gave no shelter to wandering cattle, and slanted wood planks of abandoned farmhouse doors banged in aimless gusts.”

The way Erdrich describes the wind is real neat. Instead of just saying the wind was blowing hard or whatever, she says the plain itself was windswept.

26- Innuendo

An indirect or subtle observation about a thing or person. It is generally critical, disparaging, or salacious in nature.

• Some say he’s not unfamiliar with the inside of a jail cell.
• The politician claimed to stand for family values, but his record showed otherwise.

“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen

“Is Miss Darcy much grown since the spring?” said Miss Bingley; “will she be as tall as I am?” “I think she will. She is now about Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s height, or rather taller.”

Jane Austen hints at some sexual stuff going on between Lizzy Bennet and Miss Bingley about Darcy. When they’re talking about how tall each of them are, it seems like they’re also arguing about who’s gonna be the one in charge in their whole complicated relationship with Darcy. Like the one who stands tallest gets to boss around the other two and so I think Austen’s pretty slyly starting some drama here with that suggestive comparison of their heights.

Special words or expressions used by a profession or group that are difficult for others to understand.

• Please reboot your PC to complete the installation.
• The computer technicians talked about RAM, CPUs, and SSDs when upgrading the office devices.

“The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck

“Takes a good mechanic to keep ‘em rollin’. Know how a differential works?”

The talk about car stuff like the differential shows how Al uses a bunch of mechanic words. Steinbeck makes it clear what Al does for a living just through the way he talks, without having to straight up say he’s a mechanic. Using all those gearhead terms makes Al seem more like a real person instead of just a character, and lets you get to know him better since you can see stuff about his job.

27- Juxtaposition

The fact of placing two or more things side by side, often with the intent of comparing or contrasting them.

• Beauty and decay.
• The lavish wedding reception was held in the ballroom, while homeless people searched for food in the alley behind the hotel.

“And yet he did it with what composure and concentration we have seen … accomplishing the task he set himself, both in the poor workshop and in the rich drawing-room.”

Dickens tries to get readers to really grasp the huge change in Dr. Manette’s life by showing the difference between his nice old job as a fancy doctor with a swanky office and his current gig cobbling shoes together in a dingy workshop and it’s like night and day – he went from living’ large to just scrapping by. It really makes you think about how quick things can turn around, don’t it?

Expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite.

• A plumber’s house always has leaking taps.
• A traffic jam occurred on the highway on the day I left extra early to avoid being late.

 “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin

“There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature.”

Mrs. Mallard is elated on hearing that her husband has passed away as she feels liberate from the union. Unfortunately, in a bitter irony of fate, she is overcome by shock following arrival from nowhere of Mr. Mallard who appears very much alive. Here, Chopin uses situational irony that inverts the scenario that Mrs. Mallard and the readers are accustomed to. This, in essence, explains why marriage was quite oppressing to her.

29- Litotes

An understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by negating its opposite.

• He’s not the brightest bulb in the chandelier.
• The hike through the canyon was no walk in the park.

“Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë

Nelly criticizes Heathcliff with litotes after he returns following Catherine’s death:

“He’s not a rough diamond – a pearl-containing oyster of a rustic: he’s a fierce, pitiless, wolfish man.”

Bronté says heathcliff is no rough diamond but fierce and pitiless wolflike man with an attempt to understate the extent of Nelly’s hatred towards him. This makes the character of Heathcliff even crueler in an accentuated manner through negation instead of direct condemnation.

30- Metaphor

A metaphor makes a direct comparison between two unlike things, stating that one thing is the other.

• My old car was a dinosaur – old and decrepit.
• The assignment was a breeze – extremely easy.

“As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven Would through the airy region stream so bright.”

He compares Juliet’s eyes to stars. Romeo says her eyes would shine as brightly in the sky as daylight does to a lamp. Shakespeare uses metaphor to elevate Juliet’s beauty to celestial heights.

31- Metonymy

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is used to represent something else with which it is closely associated or related. It consists in replacing the name of one object of the other similar object.

• The pen is mightier than the sword.
• The White House issued a statement.

“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.”

 In this line, “ears” is used to represent the attention or audience of the people.

32- Malapropism

Malapropism is an error of language which involves one word being wrongly exchanged for another closely sounding word having the opposite meaning which results into nonsense or some funny statement.

• He is the pineapple of politeness.
• I’m on a seafood diet. I see food, and I eat it.

“Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare

“Comparisons are odorous.”

Here, Dogberry mistakenly uses “odorous” instead of “odious,” resulting in a humorous misuse of the word.

33- Meiosis

A euphemistic figure of speech that intentionally understates something or implies that it is lesser in significance or size.

• I’m somewhat tired after completing a marathon.
• It’s just a flesh wound.

“I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.”

This reduces the focus on his intentionality in order to build up a strong empathic sense. The above instances go to show that Meiosis can be employed to underrate or reduce a matter for comic effect or emphasis.

34- Onomatopoeia

The use of words that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions to which they refer.

• “Buzz” – the word imitates the sound of a bee.
• “Splash” – the word resembles the sound of something hitting or entering water.

“The Bells” by Edgar Allan Poe

“How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, In the icy air of night!”

The word “tinkle” imitates the sound of bells ringing, which provides a sensory experience for the reader. These examples illustrate how Onomatopoeia is used to bring aural imagery to written language, evoking sounds through words.

35- Oxymoron

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two contradictory terms to create a paradoxical effect. It is usually used to create a dramatic or thought provoking impact in literature, poetry or everyday language.

“Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow.”

Here, the combination of ‘sweet’ and ‘sorrow’ creates the oxymoronic expression. I hope this clarifies the concept of an oxymoron and provides relevant examples.

36- Paradox

A statement that seems self-contradictory or nonsensical but in reality expresses a possible truth.

“1984” by George Orwell

“War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength.”

The juxtaposition of contradictory concepts forms a paradox. It reflects the twisted logic of the dystopian society depicted in the novel.

37- Parallelism

The use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same or similar in their construction, sound, meaning or meter.

• To be, or not to be: that is the question. (Hamlet)
• The midnight’s all a-glimmer, and ’tis oil midnight. (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

“Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte

“The evening ailed her, and she grew shimmeringly and inconsolably pale. She was disturbed.”

In the aforesaid example, ‘ailed her’ and ‘grew shimmeringly and inconsolably pale. She was disturbed’ are parallel in structure and meaning. The sentence creates a strong image of the protagonist emotional state through repetition of sentence structure and synonyms.

38- Personification

Attributing human characteristics to nonhuman things.

• The sun smiled on the meadow.
• The wind whispered through the trees.
• The clock struck midnight.

See also: Anthropomorphism vs Personification

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II

“The hills were alive with the sound of music.” 

In the aforesaid example, personification is used to describe the tranquil hills surrounding the setting as if the hills themselves emanated sound. This poetic device makes the scene vivid and lively, which allows the readers or viewers to visualize the environment more clearly.

A pun refers to a type of a joke that uses one word but with multiple meanings either deliberately or unintentionally.

• I’m reading a book on anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down!
• She died doing what she loved, spreading satin.

“Hamlet” by Shakespeare

“To be, or not to be: that is the butt’s finish. Or, to butt or not to butt–that is the question:”

The speaker creates puns by substituting words like ‘butt’ for ‘to be’ and ‘butt’ or ‘or not to butt’ for ‘to be, or not to be’. These humorous wordplays provide a comedic take on the original soliloquy. It reveals the power and versatility of language and English puns. Moreover, the puns help to convey a sense of humorous absurdity, which serves as an effective way of breaking the tension in a scene.

40- Pathetic fallacy

Attributes human feelings and responses to inanimate things or animals, especially in art and literature.

• The somber clouds darkened our mood.

“Macbeth” by William Shakespeare

“ Naught’s had, all’s spent, Since it operational kind Was mine, ’tis interference, ‘twixt drunkenness And sleep, ‘twixt waking and oblivion ‘Tis an easyZoomonly title Loans Credit Line perfect palindrome ‘Tis but a year or two at most, / Ere I must sleep in my tomb.”

This excerpt is rich in pathetic fallacy, as the thunder, lightning and rain are personified and directly connected to the events and emotions of the characters.

41- Periphrasis

A literary device that is used in the formulation of an alternative and shorter phrase to replace a relatively long and complicated one. This is usually in form of a circumlocution or round about expression, rather than direct or literal phraseology. Periphrasis is used because of different aims that include highlighting the statement, adding weight or solemnness, masking the sense and avoiding tediousness.

Common Example

• At this current moment in time” instead of “now.”
• Instead of saying “You stupid idiot,” one might say, “You’re not exactly a genius,”

Example In literature

“O, she doth mock me too! Friar Laurence, I took her for my flour and frame; and now am I turn’d, then, an compromise of sound and sense, I am very salt of tear.”

Through the use of periphrasis, Lord Capulet is able to express the depth of his grief and the magnitude of his loss without resorting to simple and direct language.

42- Polyptoton

The stylistic scheme in which words derived from the same root are repeated.

• Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.

“As You Like It” by Shakespeare

“For who so firm that cannot be agitated? Be not disturbed, though change and chiding chance, By gallants fond, by gossips diffame; praise you, and why not? Speak you praises, or wherein dish? If you disgust, why then fair Mar low despite? If you can blame, blame; if you cannot blame, why then be brief! Thus convergence, thus men judge of us: If we be merry, praise it not; If we be grave, thengraver us: Set down these rights; where is your scribe? Write, for my part, I am I.”

Through the use of Polyptoton in her speech, Rosalind is able to stress the theme of changeability and inconsistency in human beings. She repeated the word ‘change’ with different endings and parts of speech to emphasize her meaning in a poetic and impactful manner.

43- Polysyndeton

Deliberate use of many conjunctions. This literary technique creates a series of equal clauses that are connected by ‘and’, ‘but’ ‘or’ and other coordinating conjunctions, which emphasizes the parallel structure of the sentences.

• We have ships and men and money and stores.

“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

“The sluggish ooze, which heaped round my feet, Cold slid and squirmed, and multiple my pains; And faster and faster sunk that stone! Who laid bat wings to Memphian sculptures’ eyes! Beneath the rocks, beneath the sea, / The old man popped.”

Through the use of Polysyndeton in this poem, Coleridge is able to emphasize the parallels, repeated and iterative circumstances faced by the speaker, which makes the poem more engaging and vivid.

The use of more words than necessary to convey meaning either as a fault of style or for emphasis.

44- Pleonasm 

It is a rhetoric device whereby two words are used to emphasize one meaning. This refers to a writing style that tends to use a lot of words to convey an idea while also repeating or using double terms denoting exactly the same meaning. 

• see with one’s eyes or burning fire.

“Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep” by Mary Elizabeth Frye

“I am a thousand winds that blow, I am the diamond glints on snow, I am the sun on ripened grain, I am the gentle autumn rain. When you awaken in the morning’s hush, I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circled flight. I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there; I did not die.”

Here, the repetition of ‘I am’ is used to reinforce the idea of the speaker’s presence and continuity even after death. The use of pleonasms in this poem creates a lyrical and immersive quality, which emphasizes the richness and significance of everyday experiences.

A comparison between two unlike things using ‘like’ or ‘as’. Simile helps to create vivid imagery and convey complex emotion by providing a concrete example or comparison.

• Her smile was as bright as the sun.
• She worked like a horse

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare

“I am seraunt to some demies, That mock our masters of their festivities; And sometimes I’ll a little poster it, When you have done your exercises, And wonder thengpuly how you come to it; But whether by born or taught I cannot decipher; It enables me to speak in divinity; And ’tis a common proof that low men understand it.”

Here, Puck uses a simile to describe his ability to move unnoticed. This simile is powerful and intriguing as it draws an interesting parallel between Puck’s movements and servants making fun of their masters festivities. The use of simile in this instance helps to convey the idea that Puck is able to move around discreetly without being seen.

46- Synecdoche

A part is made to represent the whole or vice versa.

• All hands on deck.
• Give me four

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, / Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—” 

Poe’s use of a raven as a symbol in his poem goes beyond just representing a specific bird – it also highlights the gloomy associations and connotations that humans often attach to it. The poet employs synecdoche to represent the whole in order to create a somber and melancholic atmosphere.

47- Sibilance

A literary device where strongly stressed consonants are created deliberately by producing soft, hissing sounds. This effect is often produced through the use of sibilant consonant sounds, such as ‘s’, ‘sh’, ‘z’, and ‘zh’.

• The slithering snake slid through the grass.
• The sea slashed against the shore

“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot

“Do I dare Disturb the universe? In a minute there is time For decisions and revisions which a lifetime Of trouble, of growing old Shall not make, shall not mitigate, Shall not make amends for, Still less does forgiveness, Since that silence in which we all Die like a departed king”

The writer uses a literary device called sibilance to create a pensive and contemplative mood. This technique involves the repetition of words with an ‘s’ sound, such as ‘disturb’ and ‘universe’, which contributes to a whispery and introspective tone that matches the speaker’s inner thoughts. The repetition of initial ‘s’ sounds in these words helps to establish a connection between the speaker’s thoughts and the events that he ponders, which creates a sense of complexity and instability in the relationship between the two.

48- SynScope

A figure of speech in which a part of a sentence is repeated in a different way. For example, “The dog, the dog, that stole the cat” is a sycope that repeats the word “dog” in a different way to emphasize it.

“Finnegans Wake” by James Joyce

“(Arise, O sleeper, I would cry to you up in your burrow, / Come out,\n”

James Joyce uses the literary device of syncope, which involves omitting letters or sounds from words to mimic natural speech. He builds dense, meaningful passages around gaps and distortions in dialogue to represent a sedated and slurred voice. The contrast between these sections of rich prose and moments of silence allows Joyce to vividly render the intense inner experiences and obsessions of his characters.

49- Tautology

Saying the same thing twice in different words, which is considered to be a redundancy.

• She took a deep breath and breathed in deeply.
• I have already told you that I will never do it again.

“Arise, fair sun, and kill the enviously dark night!”

Shakespeare uses repetition of the phrases ‘fair sun’ and ‘enviously dark night’ to emphasize the depth of Romeo’s feelings for Juliet. Though the two phrases mean the same thing, however their repetition create a strong visual image and sensuous tone that mirrors Romeo’s intense emotions. This repetitive technique enriches the text’s poetic style and resonates with the reader, which underscores the passionate love between the two characters.

A word applies to two others in different senses.

• She broke his car and his heart.
• She dressed her doll and her brother.

“A Walk” by Joseph Brodsky

“Officials throng the streets, The sun stews, yesterday’s rain Drips from the leaves and whatever else Will hold such pineapple.”

Brodsky uses zeugma that yokes together two ideas that may not naturally belong together. He connects ‘officials throng the streets’ with ‘the sun stews’ pairing a group of people with a description of the weather. This unusual juxtaposition allows Brodsky to hyperbolize and satirize as he critically examines the Soviet regime.

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Figurative Language

Figurative Language Definition

What is figurative language? Here’s a quick and simple definition:

Figurative language is language that contains or uses figures of speech . When people use the term "figurative language," however, they often do so in a slightly narrower way. In this narrower definition, figurative language refers to language that uses words in ways that deviate from their literal interpretation to achieve a more complex or powerful effect. This view of figurative language focuses on the use of figures of speech that play with the meaning of words, such as metaphor , simile , personification , and hyperbole .

Some additional key details about figurative language:

• Figurative language is common in all sorts of writing, as well as in spoken language.
• Figurative language refers to language that contains figures of speech, while figures of speech are the particular techniques. If figurative speech is like a dance routine, figures of speech are like the various moves that make up the routine.
• It's a common misconception that imagery, or vivid descriptive language, is a kind of figurative language. In fact, writers can use figurative language as one tool to help create imagery, but imagery does not have to use figurative language.

Figurative Language Pronunciation

Here's how to pronounce figurative language: fig -yer-uh-tiv lang -gwij

Figures of Speech and Figurative Language

To fully understand figurative language, it's helpful to have a basic understanding of figures of speech. More specifically, it's helpful to understand the two main types of figures of speech: tropes and schemes .

• Tropes are figures of speech that play with and shift the expected and literal meaning of words.
• Schemes are figures of speech that involve a change from the typical mechanics of a sentence, such as the order, pattern, or arrangement of words.

Put even more simply: tropes play with the meaning of words, while schemes play with the structure of words, phrases, and sentences.

The Different Things People Mean When They Say Figurative Language

When people say figurative language, they don't always mean the precise same thing. Here are the three different ways people usually talk about figurative language:

• Dictionary definition of figurative language: According to the dictionary, figurative language is simply any language that contains or uses figures of speech. This definition would mean that figurative language includes the use of both tropes and schemes.
• Much more common real world use of figurative language: However, when people (including teachers) refer to figurative language, they usually mean language that plays with the literal meaning of words. This definition sees figurative language as language that primarily involves the use of tropes.
• Another common real world use of figurative language: Some people define figurative language as including figures of speech that play with meaning as well as a few other common schemes that affect the rhythm and sound of text, such as alliteration and assonance .

What does all that boil down to for you? If you hear someone talking about figurative language, you can usually safely assume they are referring to language that uses figures of speech to play with the meaning of words and, perhaps, with the way that language sounds or feels.

Common Types of Figurative Language

There are many, many types of figures of speech that can be involved in figurative language. Some of the most common are:

• Metaphor : A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unrelated things by stating that one thing is another thing, even though this isn't literally true. For example, the phrase "her lips are a blooming rose" obviously doesn't literally mean what it says—it's a metaphor that makes a comparison between the red beauty and promise of a blooming rose with that of the lips of the woman being described.
• Simile : A simile, like a metaphor, makes a comparison between two unrelated things. However, instead of stating that one thing is another thing (as in metaphor), a simile states that one thing is like another thing. An example of a simile would be to say "they fought like cats and dogs."
• Oxymoron : An oxymoron pairs contradictory words in order to express new or complex meanings. In the phrase "parting is such sweet sorrow" from Romeo and Juliet , "sweet sorrow" is an oxymoron that captures the complex and simultaneous feelings of pain and pleasure associated with passionate love.
• Hyperbole : Hyperbole is an intentional exaggeration of the truth, used to emphasize the importance of something or to create a comic effect. An example of a hyperbole is to say that a backpack "weighs a ton." No backpack literally weighs a ton, but to say "my backpack weighs ten pounds" doesn't effectively communicate how burdensome a heavy backpack feels.
• Personification : In personification, non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the sentence, "The rain poured down on the wedding guests, indifferent to their plans." Describing the rain as "indifferent" is an example of personification, because rain can't be "indifferent," nor can it feel any other human emotion.
• Idiom : An idiom is a phrase that, through general usage within a particular group or society, has gained a meaning that is different from the literal meaning of the words. The phrase "it's raining cats and dogs" is known to most Americans to mean that it's raining hard, but an English-speaking foreigner in the United States might find the phrase totally confusing.
• Onomatopoeia : Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech in which words evoke the actual sound of the thing they refer to or describe. The “boom” of a firework exploding, the “tick tock” of a clock, and the “ding dong” of a doorbell are all examples of onomatopoeia.
• Synecdoche : In synecdoche, a part of something is used to refer to its whole . For example, "The captain commands one hundred sails" is a synecdoche that uses "sails" to refer to ships—ships being the thing of which a sail is a part.
• Metonymy : Metonymy is a figure of speech in which an object or concept is referred to not by its own name, but instead by the name of something closely associated with it. For example, in "Wall Street prefers lower taxes," the New York City street that was the original home of the New York Stock Exchange stands in for (or is a "metonym" for) the entire American financial industry.
• Alliteration : In alliteration, the same sound repeats in a group of words, such as the “ b ” sound in: “ B ob b rought the b ox of b ricks to the b asement.” Alliteration uses repetition to create a musical effect that helps phrases to stand out from the language around them.
• Assonance : The repetition of vowel sounds repeat in nearby words, such as the " ee " sound: "the squ ea ky wh ee l gets the gr ea se." Like alliteration, assonance uses repeated sounds to create a musical effect in which words echo one another.

Figurative Language vs. Imagery

Many people (and websites) argue that imagery is a type of figurative language. That is actually incorrect. Imagery refers to a writers use of vivid and descriptive language to appeal to the reader's senses and more deeply evoke places, things, emotions, and more. The following sentence uses imagery to give the reader a sense of how what is being described looks, feels, smells, and sounds:

The night was dark and humid, the scent of rotting vegetation hung in the air, and only the sound of mosquitoes broke the quiet of the swamp.

This sentence uses no figurative language. Every word means exactly what it says, and the sentence is still an example of the use of imagery. That said, imagery can use figurative language, often to powerful effect:

The night was dark and humid, heavy with a scent of rotting vegetation like a great-aunt's heavy and inescapable perfume, and only the whining buzz of mosquitoes broke the silence of the swamp.

In this sentence, the description has been made more powerful through the use of a simile ("like a great-aunt's..."), onomatopoeia ("whining buzz," which not only describes but actually sounds like the noise made by mosquitoes), and even a bit of alliteration in the " s ilence of the s wamp."

To sum up: imagery is not a form of figurative language. But a writer can enhance his or her effort to write imagery through the use of figurative language.

Figurative Language Examples

Figurative language is more interesting, lively, beautiful, and memorable than language that's purely literal. Figurative language is found in all sorts of writing, from poetry to prose to speeches to song lyrics, and is also a common part of spoken speech. The examples below show a variety of different types of figures of speech. You can see many more examples of each type at their own specific LitChart entries.

Figurative Language Example: Metaphor

Metaphor in shakespeare's romeo and juliet.

In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet , Romeo uses the following metaphor in Act 2 Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet , after sneaking into Juliet's garden and catching a glimpse of her on her balcony:

But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

Romeo compares Juliet to the sun not only to describe how radiantly beautiful she is, but also to convey the full extent of her power over him. He's so taken with Juliet that her appearances and disappearances affect him like those of the sun. His life "revolves" around Juliet like the earth orbits the sun.

Figurative Language Example: Simile

In this example of a simile from Slaughterhouse-Five , Billy Pilgrim emerges from an underground slaughterhouse where he has been held prisoner by the Germans during the deadly World War II firebombing of Dresden:

It wasn't safe to come out of the shelter until noon the next day. When the Americans and their guards did come out, the sky was black with smoke. The sun was an angry little pinhead. Dresden was like the moon now , nothing but minerals. The stones were hot. Everybody else in the neighborhood was dead.

Vonnegut uses simile to compare the bombed city of Dresden to the moon in order to capture the totality of the devastation—the city is so lifeless that it is like the barren moon.

Figurative Language Example: Oxymoron

These lines from Chapter 7 of Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls describe an encounter between Robert Jordan, a young American soldier fighting in the Spanish Civil War, and his lover María.

She held herself tight to him and her lips looked for his and then found them and were against them and he felt her, fresh, new and smooth and young and lovely with the warm, scalding coolness and unbelievable to be there in the robe that was as familiar as his clothes, or his shoes, or his duty and then she said, frightenedly, “And now let us do quickly what it is we do so that the other is all gone.”

The couple's relationship becomes a bright spot for both of them in the midst of war, but ultimately also a source of pain and confusion for Jordan, as he struggles to balance his obligation to fight with his desire to live happily by Maria's side. The contradiction contained within the oxymoron "scalding coolness" emphasizes the couple's conflicting emotions and impossible situation.

Figurative Language Example: Hyperbole

Elizabeth Bennet, the most free-spirited character in Pride and Prejudice , refuses Mr. Darcy's first marriage proposal with a string of hyperbole :

From the very beginning, from the first moment I may almost say, of my acquaintance with you, your manners impressing me with the fullest belief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain of the feelings of others, were such as to form that ground-work of disapprobation, on which succeeding events have built so immoveable a dislike; and I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry.

Elizabeth's closing statement, that Darcy is the "last man in the world" whom she would ever marry, is an obvious hyperbole. It's hard to believe that Elizabeth would rather marry, say, an axe murderer or a diseased pirate than Mr. Darcy. Even beyond the obvious exaggeration, Austen's use of hyperbole in this exchange hints at the fact that Elizabeth's feelings for Darcy are more complicated than she admits, even to herself. Austen drops various hints throughout the beginning of the novel that Elizabeth feels something beyond mere dislike for Darcy. Taken together with these hints, Elizabeth's hyperbolic statements seem designed to convince not only Darcy, but also herself, that their relationship has no future.

Figurative Language Example: Personification

In Chapter 1 of The Scarlet Letter , Nathaniel Hawthorne describes a wild rose bush that grows in front of Salem's gloomy wooden jail:

But, on one side of the portal, and rooted almost at the threshold, was a wild rose-bush, covered, in this month of June, with its delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom, in token that the deep heart of Nature could pity and be kind to him.

In the context of the novel's setting in 17th century Boston, this rose bush, which grows wild in front of an establishment dedicated to enforcing harsh puritan values, symbolizes those elements of human nature that cannot be repressed, no matter how strict a community's moral code may be: desire, fertility, and a love of beauty. By personifying the rosebush as "offering" its blossoms to reflect Nature's pity (Nature is also personified here as having a "heart"), Hawthorne turns the passive coincidence of the rosebush's location into an image of human nature actively resisting its constraints.

Figurative Language Example: Idiom

Figurative language example: onomatopoeia.

In Act 3, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's The Tempest , Caliban uses onomatopoeia to convey the noises of the island.

Be not afeard. The isle is full of noises, Sounds, and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices...

The use of onomatopoeia makes the audience feel the sounds on the island, rather than just have to take Caliban's word about there being noises.

Figurative Language Example: Synecdoche

In Act 4, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's Macbeth , an angry Macbeth kicks out a servant by saying:

Take thy face hence.

Here, "thy face" stands in for "you." Macbeth is simply telling the servant to leave, but his use of synecdoche makes the tone of his command more harsh and insulting because he uses synecdoche to treat the servant not as a person but as an object, a body part.

Figurative Language Example: Metonymy

In his song "Juicy," Notorious B.I.G. raps:

Now I'm in the limelight 'cause I rhyme tight

Here he's using "limelight" as a metonymy for fame (a "limelight" was a kind of spotlight used in old theaters, and so it came to be associated with the fame of being in the spotlight). Biggie's use of metonymy here also sets him up for a sweet rhyme.

Figurative Language Example: Alliteration

In his song "Rap God," Eminem shows his incredible lyrical dexterity by loading up the alliteration :

S o I wanna make sure, s omewhere in this chicken s cratch I S cribble and doodle enough rhymes T o maybe t ry t o help get s ome people through t ough t imes But I gotta k eep a few punchlines Just in c ase, ‘ c ause even you un s igned Rappers are hungry l ooking at me l ike it's l unchtime…

Why Do Writers Use Figurative Language?

The term figurative language refers to a whole host of different figures of speech, so it's difficult to provide a single definitive answer to why writers use figurative language. That said, writers use figurative language for a wide variety of reasons:

• Interest and beauty: Figurative language allows writes to express descriptions, ideas, and more in ways that are unique and beautiful.
• Complexity and power: Because figurative language can create meanings that go beyond the literal, it can capture complex ideas, feelings, descriptions, or truths that cause readers to see things in a new way, or more closely mirror the complex reality of the world.
• Visceral affect: Because figurative language can both impact the rhythm and sound of language, and also connect the abstract (say, love) with the concrete (say, a rose), it can help language make an almost physical impact on a reader.
• Humor: By allowing a writer to layer additional meanings over literal meanings, or even to imply intended meanings that are the opposite of the literal meaning, figurative language gives writers all sorts of options for creating humor in their writing.
• Realism: People speak and even think in terms of the sorts of comparisons that underlie so much figurative language. Rather than being flowery, figurative language allows writers to describe things in ways that match how people really think about them, and to create characters who themselves feel real.

In general, figurative language often makes writing feel at once more accessible and powerful, more colorful, surprising, and deep.

Other Helpful Figurative Language Resources

• The dictionary definition of figurative : Touches on figurative language, as well as some other meanings of the word.
• Figurative and Frost : Examples of figurative language in the context of the poetry of Robert Frost.
• Figurative YouTube : A video identifying various forms of figurative language from movies and television shows.
• Wikipedia on literal and figurative language : A bit technical, but with a good list of examples.

• PDFs for all 136 Lit Terms we cover
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• Downloadable (PDF) line-by-line translations of every Shakespeare play
• Alliteration
• Figure of Speech
• Onomatopoeia
• Personification
• Rising Action
• Dynamic Character
• Deus Ex Machina
• Slant Rhyme
• Antanaclasis
• Falling Action
• Flat Character
• Rhetorical Question
• Polysyndeton
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The Top 20 Figures of Speech

Illustration by Hugo Lin. ThoughtCo.

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

A figure of speech is a rhetorical device that achieves a special effect by using words in a distinctive way. Though there are hundreds of figures of speech, but here we'll focus on 20 top examples.

You'll probably remember many of these terms from your English classes. Figurative language is often associated with literature and poetry in particular. Whether we're conscious of it or not, we use figures of speech every day in our own writing and conversations.

For example, common expressions such as "falling in love," "racking our brains," and "climbing the ladder of success" are all metaphors—the most pervasive figure of all. Likewise, we rely on similes when making explicit comparisons ("light as a feather") and hyperbole to emphasize a point ("I'm starving!").

Did You Know?

Figures of speech are also known as figures of rhetoric, figures of style, rhetorical figures, figurative language, and  schemes .

Watch Now: Common Figures of Speech Explained

Why use figures of speech.

Using original figures of speech or figurative language in our writing is a way to convey meanings in fresh, unexpected ways. They can help our readers understand and stay interested in what we have to say, and they also foster creativity and depth. Whether it's a vivid metaphor, a clever simile, or a thought-provoking paradox, these tools not only enhance clarity but also add layers of richness to our expression.

Top 20 Figures of Speech

Alliteration.

The repetition of an initial consonant sound.

Example: She sells seashells by the seashore.

The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.

Example: Unfortunately, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time on the wrong day. 

The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.

Example: As Abraham Lincoln said, "Folks who have no vices have very few virtues."

Directly addressing a nonexistent person or an inanimate object as though it were a living being.

Example: "Oh, you stupid car, you never work when I need you to," Bert sighed.

Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.

Example: How now, brown cow?

A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with the parts reversed.

Example: The famous chef said people should live to eat, not eat to live.

The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.  

Example: "We're teaching our toddler how to go potty," Bob said.

An extravagant statement , the use of exaggerated terms for emphasis or heightened effect.

Example: I have a ton of things to do when I get home.

The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning. Also, a statement or situation where the meaning is contradicted by the appearance or presentation of the idea.

Example: "Oh, I love spending big bucks," said my dad, a notorious penny pincher.

A figure of speech consisting of an understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by negating its opposite.

Example: A million dollars is no small chunk of change.

An implied comparison between two dissimilar things that have something in common.

Example: "All the world's a stage."

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated; also, the rhetorical strategy of describing something indirectly by referring to things around it.

Example: "That stuffed suit with the briefcase is a poor excuse for a salesman," the manager said angrily.

Onomatopoeia

The use of words that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to.

Example: The clap of thunder went bang and scared my poor dog.

A figure of speech in which incongruous or contradictory terms appear side by side.

Example:  "He popped the jumbo shrimp in his mouth."

A statement that appears to contradict itself.

Example: "This is the beginning of the end," said Eeyore, always the pessimist.

Personification

A figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstraction is endowed with human qualities or abilities.

Example: That kitchen knife will take a bite out of your hand if you don't handle it safely.

​ A play on words , sometimes on different senses of the same word and sometimes on the similar sense or sound of different words.

Example: Jessie looked up from her breakfast and said, "A boiled egg every morning is hard to beat."

A stated comparison (usually formed with "like" or "as") between two fundamentally dissimilar things that have certain qualities in common.

Example: Roberto was white as a sheet after he walked out of the horror movie.

A figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole.

Example: Tina is learning her ABCs in preschool.

Understatement

A figure of speech in which a writer or speaker deliberately makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is.

Example: "You could say Babe Ruth was a decent ballplayer," the reporter said with a wink.

More Figures of Speech Examples

There are hundreds of different figures of speech you can use to bolster your writing, many of them with overlapping or highly similar meanings. Like a paradox, for example, an oxymoron involves an apparent contradiction. However, a paradox presents a statement that seemingly contradicts itself ("If you wish to preserve your secret, wrap it up in frankness"), while an oxymoron squeezes contradictory terms together ("deafening silence"). If you're interested in exploring more distinctions among similar figures of speech, you can find additional examples here .

• Figure of Speech: Definition and Examples
• 100 Awfully Good Examples of Oxymorons
• Brief Introductions to Common Figures of Speech
• AP English Exam: 101 Key Terms
• Figure of Thought in Rhetoric
• Paradox in English Grammar
• 20 Figures of Speech That We Never Heard About in School
• Hyperbole: Definition and Examples
• How Figurative Language Is Used Every Day
• What Is a Verbal Paradox?
• Figures of Speech: The Apostrophe as a Literary Device
• Scheme (Rhetoric): Definition and Examples
• Valentine's Day Language: Learning Idioms, Metaphors, and Similes
• Figurative vs. Literal Language
• Simile Definition and Examples
• Homer Simpson's Figures of Speech

Inflation Cooled Slightly, Offering Some Relief for Consumers and the Fed

Prices climbed 3.4 percent in April from a year earlier, a moderation after some hot inflation readings this year. Stocks rose as investors bet that the Federal Reserve could cut interest rates sooner.

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+3.6% excluding

food and energy

+3.4% in April

Ben Casselman

What to know about the inflation report.

A closely watched measure of inflation eased last month, an encouraging sign for the economy after three straight months of uncomfortably rapid price increases.

The Consumer Price Index climbed 3.4 percent in April, down from 3.5 percent in March, the Labor Department said Wednesday. The “core” index — which strips out volatile food and fuel prices in order to give a sense of the underlying trend — rose 3.6 percent last month, down from 3.8 percent a month earlier. It was the lowest annual increase in core inflation since early 2021.

The slowdown will likely come as welcome news to consumers, and as a relief to policymakers at the Federal Reserve, who have been concerned that they were losing ground in their fight against inflation. But economists cautioned that one month of encouraging data was far from enough to set those worries to rest.

“I would characterize it as a small step in the right direction,” said Stephen Stanley, chief U.S. economist at Santander.

Both overall and core prices rose 0.3 percent from the previous month, down from 0.4 percent in February and March.

Inflation fell rapidly last year, giving rise to hopes that the Fed was on the verge of succeeding in its effort to rein in price increases without causing a recession, and that the central bank could soon begin cutting interest rates. But progress has since stalled, and investors have all but given up hope of rate cuts before September.

The encouraging inflation report on Wednesday is unlikely to change those expectations. But it could be a step toward giving policymakers confidence that inflation is returning to normal, which they have said they need before they begin cutting rates, which are currently set at about 5.3 percent.

“I think there will be something of a sigh of relief from the Fed, but at the same time there’s still work to be done,” said Sarah House, senior economist at Wells Fargo. She noted that services prices, in particular, continued to rise quickly in April, albeit more slowly than they had in recent months.

The report is also likely to be met with relief at the White House after what has been a rough recent run of inflation data for President Biden. Grocery prices fell outright in April, and are up just 1.1 percent over the past year, encouraging signs of progress in what has been one of the most painful categories of inflation for families.

But the report also provided fodder for Republicans. Gasoline prices rose a seasonally adjusted 2.8 percent in April from March.

Still, while Wednesday’s report contained some mixed signals, it did at least stop the bleeding after several months of bad news.

Had the data come in hotter than anticipated yet again, it could have led policymakers to conclude that high rates needed more time to bring inflation to heel. Speaking at an event in Amsterdam on Tuesday , Jerome H. Powell, the Fed chair, reiterated that recent inflation readings had made him more cautious about cutting rates.

“We did not expect this to be a smooth road, but these were higher than I think anybody expected,” he said. “What that has told us is that we will need to be patient and let restrictive policy do its work.”

Any further delay would be bad news for investors, who have been eagerly anticipating lower rates, and for low- and moderate-income Americans, who are increasingly struggling to manage the burden of higher borrowing costs. Data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Tuesday showed that a rising share of borrowers are falling behind on their credit card bills as rates on those debts have skyrocketed.

Wednesday’s report showed improvement in some of the categories that had driven the recent uptick in inflation. Health insurance costs, which jumped in March, rose more slowly in April. Car insurance rates, too, rose more slowly, although still at an uncomfortably rapid clip.

But prices in one key part of the economy remained stubborn: housing. For more than a year, forecasters have been predicting that the government’s measure of housing inflation would ease, citing private-sector data showing rent increases slowing.

Instead, housing costs in the Consumer Price Index have continued to rise more quickly than before the pandemic, a pattern that continued in April.

“The initial reaction from the market to this data is that this is a relief, and it’s good news, because we’re not re-accelerating,” said Blerina Uruci, chief U.S. economist at T. Rowe Price. “But when I look at the details, it seems to suggest a degree of stickiness in inflation,” in part because of housing.

Still, the latest data could restore some confidence that policymakers will be able to keep bringing down inflation without causing a recession. The Fed had seemed on track to do that last year, defying predictions that high interest rates would inevitably cause a large increase in unemployment.

But as the fight has dragged on, some economists have become more concerned that the Fed will prove unable to control inflation fully without slowing the economy so much that people lose their jobs. Job growth slowed more than expected in April, and the unemployment rate has gradually crept up.

“The labor market has held up so well,” Ms. House said. “But the longer we keep interest rates where they are, the more I get worried about the labor market side.”

Jeanna Smialek and Jim Tankersley contributed reporting.

J. Edward Moreno

Stocks are rising in early trading as investors celebrate the inflation data, which has boosted hopes of Fed rate cuts this year. The S&P 500 is up about 0.5 precent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite is up about 0.3 percent. The Russell 2000 index, which measures smaller companies more exposed to changes in the economy, is up 1.3 percent.

S&P 500

Jim Tankersley

No boasting over the inflation numbers from President Biden today. “Fighting inflation and lowering costs is my top economic priority,” he said in a statement. “I know many families are struggling, and that even though we’ve made progress we have a lot more to do.”

Biden has been trying for months to find the right balance between claiming credit for economic gains and expressing solidarity with voters struggling with high prices . Here, he’s leaning into the “feel your pain” side of the equation .

Former President Donald J. Trump’s campaign is, not surprisingly, hitting Biden on today’s report. “Joe Biden’s poll numbers continue to sink as prices for the American people continue to rise,” Karoline Leavitt, the campaign press secretary, said in a statement.

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Lydia DePillis

Volatile energy costs — especially gasoline — led the increase in inflation in April, but it was partly counterbalanced by categories such as vehicles and some food items.

Monthly changes in April

Gasoline (all types)

Motor vehicle insurance

Cereals and bakery products

Hospital services

Medical care commodities

Rent of primary residence

Food away from home

All items excl. food, energy

Dairy, related products

Alcoholic beverages

Physicians’ services

Tobacco products

Motor vehicle repair

Electricity

Nonalcoholic beverages

New vehicles

Meats, poultry, fish, eggs

Fruits, vegetables

Airline fares

Used cars, trucks

Piped utility gas service

All items excluding food and energy

Dairy and related products

Tobacco and smoking products

Motor vehicle maintenance and repair

Nonalcoholic beverages and materials

Meats, poultry, fish and eggs

Fruits and vegetables

Used cars and trucks

Madeleine Ngo

Food price gains moderated in April.

Food inflation eased in April, providing some relief to grocery shoppers struggling to deal with higher costs.

Overall, food prices were flat compared with the prior month, a slowdown from March, when prices rose 0.1 percent. Grocery prices fell 0.2 percent in April after remaining flat for two straight months. The cost of dining out rose 0.3 percent for the second month.

Compared to a year earlier, food inflation climbed 2.2 percent in April, the same rate it rose in March . Still, that is a faster rate than prices were rising before the pandemic.

Prices for fruits and vegetables declined 0.8 percent over the month after increasing 0.1 percent in March. Meats, poultry and fish prices fell 0.1 percent, down from an increase of 0.6 percent the month before. Some products saw more rapid price gains. Costs for cereal and cereal products increased 2.2 percent over the month, and prices for ice cream and related products rose 3.3 percent in April.

Egg prices declined 7.3 percent over the month. That was a reversal from the two months prior, when they rose 4.6 percent in March and 5.8 percent in February. Economists have mostly attributed the recent rise in egg prices to bird flu outbreaks hitting commercial farms.

Although egg prices declined in April, David Ortega, a food economist at Michigan State University, said there was still a lot of uncertainty surrounding bird flu outbreaks, and he expected prices to rise in the coming months if outbreaks continue to worsen.

Overall food inflation has cooled over the past several months as transportation and raw material costs have moderated. Economists have said they expect overall food inflation to continue easing in the coming months.

Still, the high cost of food has posed a political problem for President Biden ahead of the election. Although food prices have been rising at a slower rate in recent months, economists have said consumers might not be taking much comfort with that fact because prices are still significantly higher than they were a few years ago.

Meanwhile, retail sales came in weaker than expected, in a potential sign that high prices are continuing to depress purchases. The flat number came after a strong February and March, however, so it may not add up to real evidence of a downturn.

Jeanna Smialek

Blerina Uruci, chief U.S. economist at T. Rowe Price, said that she thought that the Fed still hasn’t “seen a sufficient deceleration to feel confident,” and said that she is forecasting a rate cut in December — but predicating that on cool inflation readings over the summer.

“I don’t think there is any benefit right now to signaling too strongly in either direction for the Fed,” she said.

Joe Rennison

Renewed signs of cooler inflation have bolstered hopes of rate cuts this year. Investors have tilted their bets toward September for when the Fed will first cut interest rates, based on prices in interest rate futures markets, with another cut expected by the end of December.

“This is the first good C.P.I. report in four months and the market likes it,” said Gary Pzegeo, head of fixed income at CIBC Private Wealth US.

Paul Ashworth, chief North America economist for Capital Economics, said, “all things considered, this is consistent with the Fed cutting interest rates in September,” in a note he wrote to clients.

Of interest to parents of young children, the cost of daycare and preschool rose 0.4 percent over the month. It has been rising slightly faster in the pandemic era than it had been in the years before, though it is less volatile than other categories.

One reason why: According to a report out today from Child Care Aware of America, the supply of new daycares hasn’t kept up with demand as parents go back to work in person.

This report ends what has been a rough run of inflation data for President Biden. White House officials would love to see even more cooling in price growth, but they will welcome this reading as a start.

I would expect Biden and his team to highlight falling grocery prices — progress on an issue that consumers are paying an enormous amount of attention to.

Airfares appear to have resumed their downward slide, after having risen sharply in the second half of last year. They have declined 1.2 percent over the past two months.

Housing inflation held steady in April, as a more marked slowdown remains elusive.

Housing inflation remained unchanged in April, offering little comfort for Federal Reserve policymakers as they look for further evidence that inflation more broadly is slowing down in a sustainable way.

Economists have been closely watching housing inflation, which makes up about a third of Consumer Price Index inflation. They have expected it to cool meaningfully, but so far it has moderated only slowly.

Forecasters have been looking for a slowdown because market-based rents on new leases have cooled notably, and economists have expected that to slowly feed into official inflation data. But the government’s inflation figures capture more than just new rents: They try to represent what is happening to all rental units, including those with existing leases, and also estimate how much it would cost to rent owner-occupied housing.

It is taking an unexpectedly long time for the slowdown in real-time rents to move into those measures, though it is slowly happening. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ rent of primary residence index picked up 0.4 percent in April from the previous month, in line with its March gain. And a measure that tracks how much it would cost someone who owns their house or apartment to rent it climbed by 0.4 percent, also unchanged.

That pace of increase is slower than last year, but it is also a reminder that it is taking time to turn the tide on housing inflation.

Economists broadly still expect official housing inflation measures to moderate this year. Rent growth on existing leases must eventually slow down to look more like the rent growth on new leases, the logic goes, because otherwise people who are facing big rent jumps will simply move.

But there is uncertainty around both when that moderation will happen and how extensive it will be. And some economists have been eyeing a recent tick up in at least one measure of new leases — a nervousness that is likely to linger in light of the new data.

One component pushing up the headline inflation index was energy, which has been bouncing around a lot since peaking in 2022. It rose 1.1 percent over the month and is up 2.6 percent since last year.

The two-year Treasury yield, which is sensitive to changes in interest rate expectations, fell sharply after the numbers were released, as investors appear to have dialed back how long they expect interest rates to stay elevated for.

The dollar is also sharply weaker, a welcome sign for many countries around the world.

Stocks are rallying, as investors welcome a return to the trend of cooling inflation data. Futures on the S&P 500, which allow investors to trade before the official start of trading, rose 0.5 percent in premarket trading, on course to push the index to a fresh record high.

Emily Flitter

This inflation report shows that car insurance prices are still rising, but at a slower rate than last month. The index for motor vehicle insurance rose 1.8 percent in April, after a 2.6 percent rise in March.

Even though it’s slowing, the rise in car insurance is still staggering compared with other inflation components. Car insurance prices haves risen by 22.6 percent over the last year. Insurers have just recently gotten permission to adjust their prices to conditions that have since faded, and now they’re hoping to start turning a profit again.

One of the biggest drags on inflation came from cars — prices for used vehicles were down 1.4 percent over the month, and the cost of new vehicles declined 0.4 percent.

The combined used and new vehicles index is now down about three percent from its peak in May of last year.

Food prices were flat in April compared with the previous month, a slowdown from March, when prices rose 0.1 percent. Grocery prices also fell 0.2 percent, providing some relief to consumers.

Egg prices fell 7.3 percent in April, a reversal after prices rose 4.6 percent the month before.

Jason Karaian

The numbers are in: U.S. consumer prices rose 3.4 percent in the year through April, a slight downtick in the inflation rate. That’s roughly in line with what economists expected.

We are all watching closely to see what happens with rent and a measure of rent that applies to homeowners this morning. Economists have been waiting for months (and months) for it to come down.

Stocks are mixed as investors await the inflation data. The S&P 500 is flat in premarket trading. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite is down slightly, after some lukewarm news from big tech companies like Apple and Amazon.

A positive report could be enough to push the S&P 500 back up to another record high, after a brief blip in this year’s rally.

The Fed chair’s confidence in cooling inflation is ‘not as high’ as before.

Jerome H. Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, reiterated Tuesday that policymakers were poised to hold interest rates steady at a high level as they waited for evidence that inflation is slowing further.

Fed officials entered 2024 expecting to make interest rate cuts, having lifted borrowing costs sharply to a more than two-decade high of 5.3 percent between 2022 and the middle of last year. But stubbornly rapid inflation in recent months has upended that plan.

Central bankers have been clear that rate cuts this year are still possible, but they have also signaled that they are planning to leave interest rates on hold for now as they wait to make sure that inflation is genuinely coming under control.

Speaking during a panel discussion in Amsterdam, Mr. Powell said officials had been surprised by recent inflation readings.

“We did not expect this to be a smooth road, but these were higher than I think anybody expected,” Mr. Powell said on Tuesday of recent inflation readings. “What that has told us is that we will need to be patient and let restrictive policy do its work.”

Mr. Powell said that he expected continued growth and a strong labor market in the months ahead, and that he believed inflation would begin to slow again.

But, he said, “my confidence in that is not as high as it was, having seen these readings in the first three months of the year.”

• English Grammar
• Figures Of Speech
• Apostrophe Figure Of Speech

Apostrophe - Explore the Figure of Speech, Definition, Uses & Examples

‘Apostrophe’ – You sure would have heard of this term. Do you know what it is? A punctuation mark ? Yes, it is, but there is also a figure of speech called apostrophe. Want to know what it is? Check out the topics discussed in the article to learn the meaning, definition, how it is used in context, along with examples to have a clear idea of how it can be used.

Table of Contents

Definition of apostrophe, examples of apostrophe from literature, examples of apostrophe from movies, tv shows and nursery rhymes, frequently asked questions on the use of apostrophe as a figure of speech, apostrophe – a figure of speech.

Apostrophe is a figure of speech that is used to address someone who is absent or already dead. It can also be used to address an abstract quality or idea, and even a non-living object.

According to the Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms, apostrophe is defined as “a rhetorical figure in which the speaker addresses a dead or absent person, or an abstraction or inanimate object”. The literary device ‘apostrophe’, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is defined as “the addressing of a usually absent person or a usually personified thing rhetorically”.

Examples of the Use of Apostrophe as a Figure of Speech

Given below are examples of apostrophe from literature and movies for your reference.

Let us take a close look at a few examples of apostrophe from literature to understand how the rhetorical device can be employed.

“O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”

The above sentence is a line from the soliloquy delivered by Juliet. In the scene, she is found standing on the balcony and thinking about Romeo, who is not there with her at that moment.

“Death, be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;”

The above lines are from the sonnet, ‘Death, be not proud’ by John Donne. He addresses death, an abstract idea, in the sonnet.

• “O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,

The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won,”

The poet, Walt Whitman’s poem, ‘O Captain! My Captain!’ is an elegy written to remember and honour the death of U. S. President Abraham Lincoln. It is also a perfect example of the use of apostrophe.

• “O happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die.”

The above line is from the play, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by William Shakespeare. Juliet is seen speaking to the dagger.

• “Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!

No hungry generations tread thee down;”

The above line from ‘Ode to a Nightingale’ by John Keats is a recalling of an experience he had. It speaks about the song of the nightingale he had heard. This is an example of apostrophe as the bird is absent when it is being addressed.

Now, have a look at the following examples of the use of apostrophe in nursery rhymes, dialogues from movies and TV shows. .

“I’m sorry, Wilson. Wilson, I’m sorry!”

“Don’t worry Wilson, I’ll do all the padding. You just hold on.”

The above lines are from the movie, ‘Cast Away’. These lines are spoken by the actor Tom Hanks to his volleyball, which, according to him, is an imaginary friend whom he has named Wilson. Since he is speaking to the volleyball, an inanimate object, these lines can be considered an example of apostrophe.

The famous nursery rhyme, ‘Twinkle, twinkle little star’, probably the first one all of us have learnt, is a perfect example of apostrophe.

• “Twinkle, twinkle little star

How I wonder what you are”

• Chandler is found speaking to a door in one of the scenes in F.R.I.E.N.D.S. (a TV show).

“I’m funny, right? What do you know? You’re a door.”

• In another scene, he is also found talking to his slippers.

“So, what do you say, boys? Should I call him?

• There is also another instance where Joey and Chandler, characters in the same show, speak to the foosball table to bid farewell before they break it open to save their chick and duck.

Joey: “Table, you have given us so many great times and you guys – Jordan, Victor, Joel, all you guys, what can I say! You guys make us look good.”

In these lines, the names – Jordan, Victor and Joel are names Joey has given the players in the foosball table, all of which are non-living objects.

What is the meaning of the figure of speech called apostrophe?

Apostrophe is a figure of speech that is used to address someone who is absent or already dead. It can also be used to address an abstract quality or idea and even a non-living object.

What is the definition of apostrophe?

Give some examples of apostrophe used as a figure of speech..

Here are a few examples of apostrophe used as a figure of speech.

• “Table, you have given us so many great times and you guys – Jordan, Victor, Joel, all you guys, what can I say! You guys make us look good.”

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