Figurative Language Terms

denotation

the most specific or literal meaning of a word

connotation

an additional sense or senses associated with or suggested by a word or phrase

alliteration

the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words

assonance

the use of words that have the same or very similar vowel sounds near one another

hyperbole

extreme exaggeration for effect

understatement

restraint or lack of emphasis in expression

idiom

a fixed, distinctive, and often colorful expression whose meaning cannot be understood from the combined meaning of its words

metaphor

a comparison of two different things without using "like" "as" of "than"

simile

a comparison of two different things using "like" "as" or "than"

metonymy

when a word or phrase is substituted for another word or phrase with a similar meaning and/or association

onomatopoeia

the formation of a word by imitation of a sound made by or associated with its referent

personification

the assignment of the quality or qualities of a person to something that isn't human or even alive

pun

a humorous way of using a word or phrase so that more than one meaning is suggested, or a joke that makes a play on words by using words that sound similar

synecdoche

using a literal part of something to represent the whole

mood

the atmosphere of a literacy piece; it creates a sense of emotion that surrounds the audience

tone

the attitude of the speaker or author toward a subject or an audience

theme

the message or lesson about life an author communicates in a text