Figures of Speech

Figures of Speech

word or phrase used in a non-literal sense for rhetorical or vivid effect.

Simile

a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more empathetic or vivid

Pun

a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words which sound alike but have different meanings.

Personification

the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form.

Apostrophe

figure of speech that is used to address someone absent or already dead

Overstatement

the action of expressing or stating something too strongly; exaggeration.

Hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Understatement

the presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it is.

Paradox

a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true.

Oxymoron

a figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear in conjunction

Allusion

an implied or indirect reference to a person, event, or thing or to a part of another text

Metaphor

a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not applicable.

Synecdoche

a literary device in which a part of something is substituted for the whole

Metonymy

the substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant

Symbol

a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract

Conventional symbols

The symbols and signs which are accepted by all

Literary or contextual symbol

one that is specific to a particular story because the author creates the symbolic meaning within the context of that literary piece

Allegory

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one

Didactic poetry

Poetry that instructs, either in terms of morals or by providing knowledge of philosophy, religion, arts, science, or skills

Irony

the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.

Situational

when the outcome of a situation is contrary to or different from what is expected

Verbal

a statement in which the speaker's words are incongruous with the speaker's intent

Satire

the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues

Dramatic irony

the audience's or reader's understanding of events or individuals in a work surpasses that of its characters.

Cosmic irony

where the universe seems to have a sense of humor and purposefully creates situations that are opposite or satirical of the expected outcome, causing amusement or amusement