20 Figures of Speech With Examples
- Simile
- Definition: A comparison between two different things using ‘like’ or ‘as’.
- Example: “Her smile was as bright as the sun.”
- Metaphor
- Definition: A direct comparison between two unrelated things without using ‘like’ or ‘as’.
- Example: “Time is a thief.”
- Personification
- Definition: Attributing human characteristics to non-human objects or abstract ideas.
- Example: “The wind whispered through the trees.”
- Hyperbole
- Definition: An exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally.
- Example: “I’ve told you a million times.”
- Understatement
- Definition: A statement that minimizes the importance of something.
- Example: “It’s just a scratch,” said of a large dent.
- Metonymy
- Definition: Referring to something by one of its attributes or associations.
- Example: “The pen is mightier than the sword.”
- Synecdoche
- Definition: A part of something represents the whole, or vice versa.
- Example: “All hands on deck.”
- Irony
- Definition: A statement that, because of its context, means its opposite.
- Example: A fire station burns down.
- Sarcasm
- Definition: Verbal irony intended to mock or convey contempt.
- Example: “Great, another rainy day. Just what I needed!”
- Alliteration
- Definition: The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.
- Example: “She sells seashells by the seashore.”
- Assonance
- Definition: The repetition of vowel sounds in non-rhyming words.
- Example: “The early bird catches the worm.”
- Consonance
- Definition: The repetition of consonant sounds, typically within or at the end of words.
- Example: “The lumpy, bumpy road.”
- Onomatopoeia
- Definition: A word that imitates the sound it represents.
- Example: “The bees buzzed.”
- Anaphora
- Definition: The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.
- Example: “Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better.”
- Epistrophe
- Definition: The repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses.
- Example: “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”
- Euphemism
- Definition: A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt.
- Example: “Passed away” instead of “died.”
- Oxymoron
- Definition: A figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction.
- Example: “Deafening silence.”
- Paradox
- Definition: A seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition.
- Example: “This statement is false.”
- Pun
- Definition: A joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings.
- Example: “I used to be a baker because I kneaded dough.”
- Allusion
- Definition: A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance.
- Example: “He was a real Romeo with the ladies.”
Figures of Speech: Definition, Types & Examples
All language is guided by rules, but to strengthen a single sentence or a set of words, these basic laws of communication are deliberately broken, and additional principles of communication are triggered, providing the single phrase or a set of words a unique formation. when a phrase or a set of words is still not true to reality, these are Figures of speech that emphasize the important truth of sentences.
Table of Content
- What is Figures of Speech
- Definition of Figures of Speech
- Figure of Speech Meaning
- Types of Figures of Speech
- 20 Figures of Speech With Examples
- A Figure of Speech Chart
- Classification of Figures of Speech
- Importance of Figures of Speech
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