English - Rhetorical Devices

Taken from Merriam-Webster's Dictionary

Alliteration

The repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables

• elegant eloquence, ferociously feral

Anacoluthon

Syntactical inconsistency or incoherence within a sentence especially : a shift in an unfinished sentence from one syntactic construction to another

• you really should have—well, what do you expect?

Anadiplosis

Repetition of a prominent and usually the last word in one phrase or clause at the beginning of the next

• rely on his honor—honor such as his?

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or expression at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect

• we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground

Antanaclasis

The repetition of a word within a phrase or sentence in which the second occurrence utilizes a different and sometimes contrary meaning from the first

• we must all hang together or most assuredly we shall all hang separately

Antiphrasis

The usually ironic or humorous use of words in senses opposite to the generally accepted meanings

• this giant of 3 feet 4 inches

Antithesis

the direct opposite; contrast of ideas by means of parallel arrangements of words

• her temperament is the very antithesis of mine

• you're the sole master of your fate but also the helpless victim of your upbringing

• true love for another is the antithesis of the desire to control that person's life

Apophasis

The raising of an issue by claiming not to mention it

• we won't discuss his past crimes

Aporia

An expression of real or pretended doubt or uncertainty especially for rhetorical effect

• to be, or not to be: that is the question

Cacophony

Harshness in the sound of words or phrases, dissonance; incongruous or chaotic combination

• cacophony of sound

Chiasmus

An inverted relationship between the syntactic elements of parallel phrases

• working hard, or hardly working?

Epistrophe

Repetition of a word or expression at the end of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect

• of the people, by the people, for the people

Hypallage

An interchange of two elements in a phrase or sentence from a more logical to a less logical relationship

• you are lost to joy for joy is lost to you

Hyperbaton

A transposition or inversion of idiomatic word order

• judge me by my size, do you?

Hyperbole

Extravagant exaggeration

• mile-high ice-cream cones

Litotes

Understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary

• not a bad singer

Oxymoron

A combination of contradictory or incongruous words

• cruel kindness, benevolent malice

Pleonasm

The use of more words than those necessary to denote mere sense; redundancy

• I saw it with my own eyes

Similie

A figure of speech comparing two unlike things that is often introduced by "like" or "as"

• cheeks like roses

Synecdoche

A figure of speech by which a part is put for the whole; the whole for a part

• fifty sail for fifty ships

• society for high society

• cutthroat for assassin

• creature for a man

• boards for stage