List of Figures Of Speech

Personification Personification is all about adding a human trait to an inanimate object or an

abstraction. For example: The picture in that magazine shouted for attention.

Simile A simile is a figure of speech that compares two unrelated things or ideas using "like" or
"as" to accentuate a certain feature of an object by comparing it to a dissimilar object that is a
typical example of that particular trait. For example: as big as a bus, as clear as a bell, as dry as
a bone, etc.

Analogy An analogy is a figure of speech that equates two things to explain something
unfamiliar by highlighting its similarities to something that is familiar. This figure of speech is
commonly used in spoken and written English. For example: Questions and answers, crying and
laughing, etc.

Metaphor A metaphor compares two different or unrelated things to reveal certain new qualities
in the subject, which you might have ignored or overlooked otherwise. For example: The streets
of Chennai are a furnace.

Alliteration Alliteration is the duplication of a specific consonant sound at the start of each
word and in quick succession. Although alliterations are all about consonant sounds, exceptions
can be made, when vowels sounds are also repeated. This figure of speech is commonly seen in
poems. For example: "Guinness is good for you" - Tagline for Guinness

Hyperbole A far-fetched, over exaggerated description or sentence is called as hyperbole and is

commonly used in jokes and making backhanded compliments. For example: When she smiles,
her cheeks fall off.

Onomatopoeia This figure of speech is partly pleasure and partly business. It is used to
replicate sounds created by objects, actions, animals and people. For example: Cock-a-doodle-
do, quack, moo, etc.

Imagery Imagery is a figure of speech, which employs words to create mental images in the
mind of the reader. It is a powerful tool and mostly used by poets, lyricists and authors. For
example: "Cloudless everyday you fall upon my waking eyes inviting and inciting me to rise, And
through the window in the wall, Come streaming in on sunlight wings, A million bright
ambassadors of morning." - A portion of the lyrics to the song 'Echoes' by the band Pink Floyd

Symbol Symbol refers to the use of an object or symbol to represent or indicate something
else. For example: The symbolism of a red rose (love), the symbolism of a white flag (peace),
etc.

Pun A pun is a figure of speech that plays with words to give away obscured meanings. A pun is
also known as paronomasia. For example: My son wanted a scooter. When I told him they are
too dangerous, he moped around the house.

Allegory An allegory is nothing but an improvised metaphor. It is a figure of speech, which

involves the use of characters or actions in a piece of literature, wherein the characters have
more to them than meets the eye. For example: The Trojan Women by Euripides, Aesop's Fables
by Aesop.
Tautology Tautology is needless repetition of words to denote the same thing. For example:
CD-ROM disk, PIN number, ATM machine, etc.

Palindrome A palindrome is a series of numbers, words or phrases that reads the same in
either direction. For example: Malayalam, A Toyota's a Toyota, etc.

Euphemism Euphemism is a figure of speech where an offensive word or expression is replaced

with a polite word. For example: David: Do you have a few minutes? Ryan: No, I'm busy. David:
Ok, listen... Ryan: No, you listen, when I said 'busy', I meant leave me the hell alone.

Assonance Assonance is a repetition of the vowel sounds. Such a figure of speech is found most
commonly in short sentences or verses. For example: And murmuring of innumerable bees.

Idiom An idiom is a phrase, expression or group of words whose implication is not clear when
you go by the literal meaning of words. For example: As easy as pie, at the eleventh hour, pull
someone's leg, etc.

Funny Metaphors Funny metaphors are metaphors that ring aloud with humor. For example:
That's like trying to thread a needle with a haystack.

Allusion An allusion is an indirect or subtle reference made about a person, place or thing in a
work of literature. For example: I am no Prince Hamlet.

Antecedent An antecedent, in grammar, is a word, a phrase, or a clause that is usually

replaced by a pronoun in a sentence, but regularly so in a following sentence. For example:
When I arrived to meet Caleb, he wasn't to be seen.

Jargon Jargon is the kind of language that is specific to a particular trade, occupation,
professionals or group of people. For example: I need your vitals.

Double Negative A double negative is a figure of speech that occurs when two negative words
or two forms of negation are used in one sentence. For example: I won't not use no ladder to
climb the building.

Adjunction An adjunction is a phrase or a clause that is placed at the start of a sentence. An

adjunction, in most cases, is a verb. For example: Runs the leopard past us as we stray deeper
into his territory.

Antithesis An antithesis is a figure of speech where two very opposing lines of thought or ideas
are placed in a somewhat balanced sentenced. For example: Man proposes: God disposes.

Apostrophe An apostrophe is used when a person who is absent or nonexistent is spoken

to. For example: "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are. Up above the world
so high, Like a diamond in the sky."

Climax In a climax, the words are placed in an ascending order, depending on their significance.
These words generally revolve around a central theme and are arranged in an increasing order
to create a strong impression on the mind of the reader. For example: "There are three things
that will endure: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13
 Metonymy A metonymy is a figure of speech where one word or phrase is used in place of
another. With metonymies, a name of a particular thing is substituted with the name of a thing
that is closely related to it. For example: "We have always remained loyal to the crown."

Oxymoron Oxymoron involves the usage of contradictory terms to describe an object, situation
or incident. For example: open secret, tragic comedy, exact estimate, original copies, etc.

Synecdoche This is figure of speech where a part of a particular object is employed to throw
light on the whole thing. For example: Describing a whole vehicle as just "wheels".

Stereotype A stereotype, as far as the figures of speech are concerned, is a convention, a

predisposition or a set approach to any particular issue. For example: All blondes are dumb.

Anastrophe An anastrophe refers to an inversion or rearrangement of a group of words that

usually appear in a certain order. For example: Gold that glitters is not all that not. (All that
glitters is gold)

Anaphora An anaphora is an expression, which refers to another and can be ambiguous. For
example: The tiger ate the snake and it died. Longfellow

Antonomasia This figure of speech uses the name of a person on another person or persons
possessing characteristics that are similar to the characteristics of the former. For example: He
was the Adolf Hitler of the school. Litotes Litotes are nothing but an understatement. It can be
used when you are looking to underplay a positive with a negative. For example: The food at
that restaurant is not bad at all.

Paralipsis A paralipsis is a figure of speech that focuses on any particular thing without really
making it obvious. For example: I know who ate the last apple, but I will not mention Karen's
name.

Rhetoric Rhetoric in writing refers to an unexplained and undue use of exaggeration. For
example: When I reached the peak of the mountain, I stretched out my hands, touched heaven
and took a quick look at the Almighty!

Zeugma Zeugma refers to the employment of a word to bridge two or more words, but here the
word makes sense to one word or all words in dissimilar ways. For example: She lowered her
standards by raising her glass, her courage, her eyes and his hopes.

Anticlimax An anticlimax as a figure speech refers to the building up a climax that results in
something that cannot really be described as a climax. For example: On discovering that his
friend was murdered, with vengeance on his mind Ravi rushed back to his college, only to find
his friend sipping on coffee in the college canteen.

Consonance Consonance refers to the repetition of consonant sounds, within the limits of a
sentence or a certain number of sentences. For example: "Whose woods these are I think I
know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here. To watch his woods
fill up with snow." - Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

Irony Irony is used to stress on the opposite meaning of a word. When people are looking to be
sarcastic, they employ irony. For example: He was so intelligent, that he failed all his tests.
Polysyndeton Polysyndeton refers to that figure of speech which makes good use of
conjunctions and in close succession. For example: He ran and jumped and laughed for joy.

Rhetorical Question A rhetorical question is a question wherein the answer is more than
obvious. For example: A person enters a dark room and asks out loud - 'Has someone turned off
the lights?'

Anadiplosis Anadiplosis refers to the repetition of a significant word in a sentence in the

second part of the same sentence, usually with a slight change in its meaning or an exaggerated
word for the same. For example: "Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to
suffering." -Yoda, Star Wars

Appositive Appositive is a word or phrase that is used in juxtaposing related issues. For
example, Jeanne, Diane's eleven-year-old beagle, chews holes in the living room carpeting as if
he were still a puppy.

Enthymeme An enthymeme is a figure of speech where an argument that is being made has no
definite conclusion or is not completely expressed. For example, "With a name like Smucker's, it
has to be good."

Parallelism In the English language, parallelism refers to balance created between two or more
similar words and sentences. For example, I like rich desserts, fast card-games, and difficult
riddles.

Asyndeton This is a figure of speech that conveniently ignores the use of conjunctions. For
example, She has provided with a chance to earn a living, with self-respect, with satisfaction.

Parenthesis Parenthesis refers to a self explanatory and contradicting word or sentence that
breaks the flow in a series of sentences, often without affecting the flow in an obvious manner.
Commas and dashes are employed when a parenthesis is used. For example, Would you, Kris,
listen to me?

Antimetabole An antimetabole is a figure of speech, where the second half of a sentence,

phrase or series is in the exact opposite order of the first part. For example, E,F,G - G,F,E

Epistrophe Epistrophe or epiphora is the repetition of the same word or words at the end of
consecutive phrases, clauses or sentences. It is extremely emphatic and is usually employed to
stress the last word in a phrase or sentence. For example, "What lies behind us and what lies
before us are tiny compared to what lies within us." -Emerson

Understatement Understatement is a figure of speech that is used to undermine the due

importance of a statement. For example, "A soiled baby, with a neglected nose, cannot be
conscientiously regarded as a thing of beauty." - (Mark Twain)

Chiasmus hiasmus is another important figure of speech wherein two or more clauses are
joined together through a reversing the syntax to convey a bigger point. For example, "I flee
who chases me, and chase who flees me." - (Ovid)

Epithet An epithet can be best defined as a descriptive title that commonly involves a word or a
phrase that is used in lieu of the real name. For example: Alexander the Great.
Verbal Irony Verbal irony is one of the most commonly employed tropes in literature that is
pregnant with hidden connotations and usually has more to eat than meets the eye. It usually
denotes the opposite of what is expressed. For example: "Yet Brutus says he was
ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man." - Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

False Analogy An elaborate comparison of two dissimilar things is called false analogy. For
example: There has to be life on other planets because as of today no one has been able to
conclusively prove that there is no life. Above mentioned were definitions and examples of the
figures of speech. The definitions and examples should help you acquaint yourself to the figures
of speech. However, it might take you sometime before you become an expert in using these
figures of speech. Here's wishing you best of luck as you strive to master figures of speech and
exploit it to polish your language skills.Read more at
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