Figures of speech

What is a simile?

A comparison using 'like' or 'as'. Example: 'Her smile was as bright as the sun.'

What is a metaphor?

A comparison without 'like' or 'as'. Example: 'The world is a stage.'

What is personification?

Giving human characteristics to non human things. Example: 'The wind whispered through the trees.'

What is onomatopoeia?

Words that imitate sounds. Example: 'The bees buzzed around the hive.'

What is alliteration?

Repetition of initial consonant sounds. Example: 'Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.'

What is assonance?

Repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words. Example: 'The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain.'

What is hyperbole?

Extreme exaggeration for emphasis. Example: 'I've told you a million times.'

What is an oxymoron?

A combination of contradictory words. Example: 'Deafening silence.'

What is a euphemism?

A mild word or phrase used instead of a harsh one. Example: 'He passed away' instead of 'He died.'