Figurative Language Terms

figurative

using figures of speech; symbolic, not literal

literal

Exactly true, rather than figurative or metaphorical

denotation

The dictionary definition of a word

connotation

All the meanings, associations, or emotions that a word suggests

simile

A comparison of two unlike things using like or as

metaphor

A comparison without using like or as

personification

A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes

hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

verbal irony

A figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant

situational irony

An outcome that turns out to be very different from what was expected

dramatic irony

when a reader is aware of something that a character isn't

onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it represents.

idiom

A common, often used expression that doesn't make sense if you take it literally.

imagery

Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)

symbolism

A device in literature where an object represents an idea.

repetition

Repeated use of sounds, words, or ideas for effect and emphasis

allusion

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event

allegory

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

analogy

A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them.

understatement

the presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is.

pun

a humorous play on words

paradox

A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.

alliteration

the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.

euphemism

An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant