Figurative Language

Metaphor

A direct comparison between two unlike things (e.g. 'Time is a thief.')

Simile

A comparison using 'like' or 'as' (e.g. 'Brave as a lion.')

Personification

Giving human traits to non-human things (e.g. 'The wind whispered.')

Hyperbole

Exaggeration for emphasis (e.g. 'I've told you a million times.')

Allusion

Indirect reference to something famous (e.g. 'He met his Waterloo.')

Symbolism

Using an object or action to represent something deeper (e.g. 'A dove for peace.')

Irony

Expressing the opposite of what's meant, often humorously (e.g. 'Great job!' after failing)

Oxymoron

Two contradictory words combined (e.g. 'bittersweet', 'deafening silence')

Paradox

A self-contradictory statement that reveals a truth (e.g. 'This is the beginning of the end.')

Pun

A play on words exploiting multiple meanings or sounds (e.g. 'I used to be a banker but I lost interest.')

Synecdoche

A part represents the whole or vice versa (e.g. 'All hands on deck.')

Metonymy

Something is referred to by something closely related (e.g. 'The crown' for 'the king')

Idiom

A common phrase with non-literal meaning (e.g. 'Kick the bucket' = to die)

Apostrophe

Directly addressing an absent or imaginary figure (e.g. 'O death, where is thy sting?')

Anthropomorphism

Giving non-humans literal human behavior/actions. (e.g. Animals walking, talking)

Euphemism

A softer expression replacing a harsh one (e.g. 'passed away' for 'died')

Litotes

Understatement using double negatives (e.g. 'Not bad' = Good)

Allegory

A complete narrative symbolizing deeper meanings (e.g. 'Animal Farm')

Conceit

An extended or complex metaphor (e.g. comparing love to a voyage)

Anaphora

Repetition at the start of clauses (e.g. 'We shall fight... We shall stand...')

Epistrophe

Repetition at the end of clauses (e.g. 'See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.')

Chiasmus

Mirrored or reversed sentence structure (e.g. 'Never let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You.')

Zeugma

One word applies to two different ideas (e.g. 'She broke his car and his heart.')

Tautology

Repeating the same idea with different words (e.g. 'free gift')

Understatement (Meiosis)

Downplaying something significant (e.g. 'It's just a scratch.')

Malapropism

Misusing similar-sounding words (e.g. 'He is the pineapple of politeness')

Cliché

An overused, worn-out expression (e.g. 'Every cloud has a silver lining.')

Imagery

An overused, worn-out expression (e.g. 'Every cloud has a silver lining.')

Double Entendre

A phrase with two meanings, often one being suggestive (e.g. I used to be a baker, but I couldn't make enough dough)

Transferred Epithet

Adjective applies grammatically to one noun but logically to another (e.g. 'sleepless night')

Anadiplosis

Repetition of the last word of a clause at the beginning of the next. (e.g. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.)