Figurative Language for Midterms

Hyperbole

Extreme exaggeration for effect
(ex: “I’ve told you a million times.”)

Allusion

A reference to a famous person, place, event, or story
(ex: biblical, mythological, historical).

Simile

Comparison using like or as
(ex: “as fast as lightning”).

Metaphor

Direct comparison without like or as
(ex: “time is a thief”).

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality
(types: verbal, situational, dramatic).

Personification

Giving human qualities to nonhuman things
(ex: “the wind whispered”).

Oxymoron

Two opposite words together
(ex: “jumbo shrimp,” “bittersweet”).

Connotation

The emotional or cultural meaning of a word.

Denotation

The literal dictionary definition of a word.

Foreshadowing

Hints or clues about what will happen later in the story.