Figures of speech

Metaphor

• Definition: A comparison between two unrelated things, implying that one thing is another.

• Example: Time is a thief.

• Purpose: Adds depth, insight, and creativity

Simile

• Definition: A comparison between two things using "like" or "as."

• Example: Her smile was as bright as the sun.

• Purpose: Makes descriptions more vivid and relatable

Personification

• Definition: Giving human qualities to inanimate objects or abstract concepts.

• Example: The wind whispered through the trees.

• Purpose: Adds emotional resonance and makes imagery come alive

Alliteration

• Definition: The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words in close succession.

• Example: She sells seashells by the seashore.

• Purpose: Creates rhythm, emphasis, and can be pleasing to the ear

Onomatopoeia

• Definition: Words that imitate sounds.

• Example: The clock ticked.

• Purpose: Brings sensory detail and realism to writing

Hyperbole

• Definition: Exaggeration for emphasis or effect.

• Example: I've told you a million times.

• Purpose: Emphasizes an idea or emotion, adds humor or drama

Irony

• Definition: A contradiction between expectation and reality, often highlighting the absurdity of a situation.

• Example: The fire station burned down.

• Purpose: Adds depth and often humor, reveals contradictions or unexpected outcomes

Allusion

• Definition: A reference to another text, event, or figure, often indirectly.

• Example: He was a real Romeo with the ladies.

• Purpose: Adds richness, context, or subtext, connecting the reader to broader ideas

Anaphora

• Definition: The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

• Example: I have a dream... I have a dream...

• Purpose: Creates rhythm, reinforces an idea, and adds emotional intensity

Antithesis

• Definition: The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in a balanced or parallel structure.

• Example: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

• Purpose: Highlights contrasts, makes ideas more striking and memorable

Oxymoron

• Definition: A combination of two contradictory or incongruous words.

• Example: Deafening silence

• Purpose: Highlights a paradox or irony in a succinct way

Rhetorical Question

• Definition: A question asked for effect, not meant to be answered.

• Example: Isn't it obvious?

• Purpose: Engages the reader, encourages them to think critically

Tautology

• Definition: The repetitive use of words that convey the same meaning.

• Example: Free gift

• Purpose: Simply reinforces a point, often unnecessary in writing

Pleonasm

• Definition: The use of more words than necessary to convey meaning.

• Example: Burning fire

• Purpose: Emphasizes something obvious, but may feel redundant

Cliché

• Definition: An overused phrase or expression.

• Example: At the end of the day

• Purpose: Simplifies communication, but often lacks originality or impact

Jargon

• Definition: Specialized language used by a particular group, often inaccessible to outsiders.

• Example: ROI (Return on Investment)

• Purpose: Used for efficiency or precision in a specific context, but can alienate readers

adage

• Definition: A short, traditional saying that expresses a common truth or piece of advice.

• Example: Actions speak louder than words.

• Purpose: Provides general wisdom, but often lacks the depth of more complex figures of speech

Epigram

• Definition: A brief, witty, and often paradoxical statement.

• Example: I can resist anything except temptation.

• Purpose: Adds humor, but not necessarily a deep or complex meaning

Euphemism

• Definition: A mild or less direct way of saying something that could be considered harsh or unpleasant.

• Example: Passed away instead of died

• Purpose: Softens or sugarcoats potentially uncomfortable topics

Idiom

• Definition: A phrase where the meaning is different from the literal interpretation.

• Example: Break a leg

• Purpose: Simplifies expression in informal speech but doesn't add complex meaning

Synecdoche

• Definition: A figure of speech where a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa.

• Example: All hands on deck

• Purpose: Useful for brevity, but doesn't necessarily enrich meaning

Metonymy

• Definition: A figure of speech in which one thing is substituted for another that is closely associated with it.

• Example: The White House announced a new policy (instead of the president or government).

• Purpose: Provides a quick shorthand for something familiar, but doesn't offer new insights

Metonymy is often confused with synecdoche, which is when a part of something represents the whole (e.g., "all hands on deck" where "hands" represent sailors). However, in metonymy, the term used is not a physical part of the whole but something closely associated with it

Antithesis

Contrasting two opposite ideas within the same sentence.

• Example: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

Asyndeton

I came, I saw, I conquered.

Hyperbaton

Rearranging the normal word order for emphasis.

• Example: "This I must see!

Tautology

Repetition of the same idea using different words.

• Example: "It was a free gift.

Epithet

A descriptive phrase that highlights a characteristic of a person or thing.

• Example: "Alexander the Great."

or

an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.

"old men are often unfairly awarded the epithet "dirty.""

Anadiplosis

Repetition of the last word of one clause at the start of the next.

• Example: "Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

Epistrophe

Repetition of the same word or phrase at the end of successive clauses.

• Example: "Where now? Who now? When now?

Pleonasm

Using more words than necessary for emphasis.

• Example: "I saw it with my own eyes.

Climax (Gradatio

Words arranged in increasing order of importance.

• Example: "He came, he saw, he conquered.

Anticlimax (Bathos

A shift from a serious or lofty idea to something trivial or absurd.

• Example: "He lost his family, his house, and his favorite pen.

Periphrasis

Using a longer phrase instead of a single word.

• Example: "The beverage of life" instead of "water.

Epizeuxis

Repetition of a word for emphasis without any words in between.

• Example: "Run, run, run!

Litany

A repetitive or lengthy list.

• Example: "She wanted to dance, to sing, to laugh, to live.

Rhetorical Question

A question posed for effect, where the answer is implied or not needed.

• Example: "Is the sky blue?

Zeugma

Using a single word in relation to two others in a grammatically appropriate but different sense.

• Example: "She broke his heart and his car.

Anadiplosis

Repetition of the last word of one phrase or clause at the start of the next.

• Example: "She opened the door, and the door opened new possibilities.

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

• Example: "I have a dream... I have a dream... I have a dream...