Figures of Speech – Vocabulary Review

These flashcards cover the major figures of speech and stylistic devices highlighted in the lecture, providing clear definitions and illustrative examples to aid memorization and application.

Simile

A comparison of two unlike things using “like” or “as.” Example: “Her smile was as bright as the sun.”

Metaphor

A direct comparison that says one thing ​is​ another. Example: “Time is a thief.”

Personification

Giving human qualities to animals, objects, or ideas. Example: “The wind whispered through the trees.”

Hyperbole

Deliberate, extravagant exaggeration for emphasis or humor. Example: “I’ve told you a million times.”

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates a natural sound. Example: “Boom,” “buzz,” “tinkle.”

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds in nearby words. Example: “The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew.”

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words. Example: “The rain in Spain stays mainly…”

Oxymoron

A pairing of opposite or contradictory terms. Example: “Bittersweet,” “sweet sorrow.”

Paradox

A seemingly self-contradictory statement that reveals truth. Example: “Less is more.”

Irony

When the opposite of what is expected occurs or is expressed. Example: A fire station burns down.

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses. Example: “I have a dream… I have a dream…”

Litotes

Understatement that uses a negative to express a positive. Example: “That was no small feat.”

Euphemism

A mild or polite term substituting for a harsh or blunt one. Example: “He passed away” for “He died.”

Synecdoche

A part of something represents the whole (or vice versa). Example: “All hands on deck.”

Metonymy

An associated object or place stands in for a concept or person. Example: “The White House announced…”

Apostrophe

Directly addressing an absent person, abstract idea, or inanimate object. Example: “O Death, where is thy sting?”

Pun

A humorous play on words exploiting multiple meanings or similar sounds. Example: “It’s impossible to put down” (book on anti-gravity).

Allusion

A brief reference to a well-known person, event, or work to enrich meaning. Example: Calling someone “a Good Samaritan.”