Figures of speech

Euphemism

A way of saying something unpleasant or harsh in a more gentle or polite way.

Example: Saying "passed away" instead of "died."

Juxtaposition

Placing two things side by side to highlight their differences or create an interesting contrast.

Example: A wealthy person and a homeless person standing on the same street corner.

Tautology

Saying the same thing twice in different words, often unnecessarily.

Example: "Free gift" or "I saw it with my own eyes."

Allusion

A reference to something well-known, like a historical event, a piece of literature, or a person, without directly mentioning it.

Example: "He’s a real Romeo with the ladies." (A reference to the character Romeo from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.)

Antithesis

Placing two opposite ideas next to each other to show contrast.

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

Apostrophe

Addressing something or someone that isn’t present or is not human, like an object, an abstract idea, or even a dead person.

Example: "Oh, love, why are you so cruel?" (Talking to "love" as if it’s a person.)

Bathos

A sudden shift from something serious or dramatic to something silly or trivial, often for comedic effect.

Example: "He gave a moving speech about saving the planet, then dropped his sandwich on the floor and cried over it."

Climax

Arranging words or ideas in increasing order of importance or intensity.

Example: "I came, I saw, I conquered."

Verbal irony

This is when someone says something, but they mean the opposite. It’s like sarcasm, but not always in a mean way.

Example: If it’s raining heavily and someone says, "What a beautiful day!"

Situational irony

This happens when there’s a big difference between what you expect to happen and what actually happens.

Example: A police station gets robbed. You’d expect a police station to be safe, but it’s the opposite.

Dramatic irony

This happens when the audience knows something that the characters don’t.

Example: In a horror movie, the audience knows the monster is hiding in the closet, but the character doesn’t, so they open the door without knowing the danger.