English figure of speech

Figure of Speech Meaning / Use How to Identify It Example Simile Comparison using “like” or “as” Look for “like” or “as” Her smile shines like the sun. Metaphor Direct comparison without “like” or “as” One thing is said to be another Time is money. Personification Giving human qualities to non-living things Object or idea acts like a human The wind whispered softly. Hyperbole Extreme exaggeration Statement is impossible or overdone I have told you a million times. Alliteration Repetition of beginning consonant sounds Nearby words start with same sound Peter Piper picked peppers. Onomatopoeia Words that imitate sounds Sound words are used Buzz, bang, splash Oxymoron Two opposite words together Contradictory terms side by side Deafening silence Irony Opposite of what is expected or said Meaning differs from reality A fire station burns down. Pun Play on words with double meaning Same word/sound used humorously A bicycle can’t stand because it is two-tired. Apostrophe Addressing absent person or object Speaker talks to non-living/absent thing O Moon, guide me tonight! Anaphora Repetition at the beginning of lines Same starting words repeated We will fight, we will win. Repetition Repeating words for emphasis Same word appears again Never, never give up. Climax Ideas arranged in increasing importance Intensity builds up He came, he saw, he conquered. Anticlimax Sudden drop from serious to silly Weak ending after strong buildup He lost his family, his house, and his pen. Metonymy One thing represented by related term Related object/name used The crown announced new laws. Synecdoche Part represents whole or whole for part A part stands for complete thing All hands on deck. Euphemism Mild word replacing harsh one Softer expression used Passed away instead of died Litotes Understatement using negatives Negative used to express positive Not bad meaning good Assonance Repetition of vowel sounds Similar vowel sounds repeat The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain. Consonance Repetition of consonant sounds Same consonant sound repeats Pitter patter Paradox Statement that seems contradictory but true Opposite ideas make sense together Less is more. Transferred Epithet Adjective transferred from person to object Description logically belongs elsewhere Sleepless night Interrogation (Rhetorical Question) Question asked for effect, not answer No real answer expected Who doesn’t want success? Exclamation Strong emotion expressed Ends with exclamation mark What a beautiful day! Inversion Unusual word order Sentence structure is reversed Sweet are the uses of adversity. Epigram Short witty statement Clever and memorable sentence Speech is silver, silence is golden. Antithesis Contrasting ideas together Opposite ideas in balanced form Man proposes, God disposes. Imagery Language creating mental pictures Appeals to senses Golden fields waved in the breeze. Quick Tips to Identify Figures of Speech “Like” or “as” present? → Simile Direct comparison? → Metaphor Non-living thing acting human? → Personification Huge exaggeration? → Hyperbole Repeated starting sounds? → Alliteration Sound words? → Onomatopoeia Opposite words together? → Oxymoron Repeated beginning words? → Anaphora Question without answer needed? → Rhetorical Question Strong emotion with “!” → Exclamation