Lexical stylistic
devises
Definition
Metaphor Transference of meaning
based on similarity
between the compared
objects
Metonymy The transference of
meaning based on
contiguity;
Synecdoche A part of smth is used to
refer to the whole
A deliberate exaggeration
Hyperbole/ of an object
understatement
Litotes is expressing an idea by
means of negating the
opposite idea.
Irony The use of words to convey
the opposite of their literal
meaning;
What is said is opposite to
what is implied
Epithet SD based on the interplay
emotive and logic meaning
in an attributive
word/phrase
Oxymoron A combination of 2 words
whose waning clash
because they’re opposed in
sense
Zeugma The use of a word in the
same grammatical but
different semantic relations
to two adjacent words in
the context.
Simile One thing is likened to
another in such way as to
clarify, to enhance the
image (like, as, as-as, as-
though.)
Antonomasia the use of a common name
as a proper name and vice
versa.
Chiasmus Chiasmus is a kind of
parallelism (reverse
parallelism) in which the
Ellipsis means the omission of one or
both principle parts of a
sentence.
Break (antosiopesis) Intentional break in the
narrative.
Climax / anticlimax The arrangement of the
sentence or may be parts of
the sentence that secures a
gradual increase in the
significance, importance,
emotional tension or sizes or
other criteria.
Inversion the displacement of the
predicate or of secondary
members of the sentence and
their shift to the front, opening
position in the sentence.
Anaphora a type of repetition when
repeated word comes at the
beginning of 2 or more
sentences.
Epiphora The repetition of a word at the
end of every line or clause
Framing The beginning of the sentence
is repeated in the end
Catch repetition The end of one clause is
(anadiplosis) repeated in the beginning of
the following one
Chain repetition Presents several successive
anadiplosis
Ordinary repetition Has no definite place in the
sentence and the repeated unit
occurs in various positions
A string of closely following
Successive repetition each other reiterated units
Parallel constructions The repetition of the whole
(parallelism) structure of the sentence.
(syntactical pattern )
Detachment a stylistic device based on
singling out a secondary
member of the sentence with
 word order followed in the
first phrase or clause is
inverted in the second.
Antithesis A structure consisting of
two steps, the lexical
meanings of which are
opposite to each other
Semantically Variety of zeugma Asyndeton
false chain consisting of a number of
homogenous members,
semantically disconnected,
but attached to the same
verb.
Suspense Deliberate postponement of Attachment
the completion of the
sentence
Periphrasis The use of longer phrasing
in place of a possible
shorter and plainer form of
expression
Onomatopoeia The use of words whose
sounds imitate those of the
signified
Alliteration The repetition of
consonants usually in the
beginning of words.
Assonance The repetition of similar
vowels usually in stressed
syllables.
Euphony A sense of ease and
comfort in pronouncing or
hearing
the help of punctuation
(intonation)
Polysyndeton is a stylistic device in which
several coordinating
conjunctions are used in
succession in order to achieve
an artistic effect.
offers no conjunctions or
connecting words.
a syntactical stylistic device
based on the deliberate
separation of the second part
of the utterance from the first
one by a full stop.
Pun A form of wordplay which
suggest 2 or more
interpretations, by exploiting
multiple meanings of words or
phrases for an intended
humorous or rhetorical effect
Slang A language of highly
colloquial type, very informal
language that is usually
spoken rather than written,
used especially by particular
groups of people:
Jargon special words and phrases that
are used by particular groups
of people, especially in their
work
Terms a word or expression used in
relation to a particular subject,
often to describe something
official or technical
Graphon Intentional violation of the
graphical shape of words used
to reflect its authentic
pronounciation, to recreate the
individual and social
peculiarities of the speaker