A figures of Speech is a word or phrase used in a non-literal sense for

rhetorical or vivid effect

Examples of Figures of Speech
Using Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of the beginning sounds of
neighboring words. Examples are:
 She sells seashells.
 Walter wondered where Winnie was.
 Blue baby bonnets
 Nick needed new notebooks.
 Fred fried frogs.
Using Anaphora
Anaphora is a technique where several phrases (or verses
in a poem) begin with the same word or words. Examples
are:
 I came, I saw, I conquered - Julius Caesar
 Mad world! Mad kings! Mad composition! - King
John II, William Shakespeare
 It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it
was the age of wisdom, it was the age of
foolishness - A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
 With malice toward none; with charity for all; with
firmness in the right - Abraham Lincoln
 We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end...
we shall never surrender - Winston Churchill
Using Assonance
Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in words that
are close together. Examples are:
 A - For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels
named Lenore (Poe)
 E - Therefore all seasons shall be sweet to thee
(Coleridge)
 I - From what I’ve tasted of desire, I hold with those
who favor fire (Frost)
 O - Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn
(Wordsworth)
 U - Uncertain rustling of each purple curtain (Poe)
Using a Euphemism
Euphemism is a mild, indirect, or vague term substituting
for a harsh, blunt, or offensive term. Examples are:
 'A little thin on top' instead of 'going bald'
 'Homeless' instead of 'bum'
 'Letting him go' instead of 'firing him'
 'Passed away' instead of 'died'
 'Economical with the truth' instead of 'liar'
Using Hyperbole
Hyperbole uses exaggeration for emphasis or effect.
Examples are:
 I’ve told you a hundred times
 It cost a billion dollars
 I could do this forever
 She is older than dirt
 Everybody knows that
Using Irony
Irony is when there is a contrast between what is said and
what is meant, or between appearance and reality.
Examples are:
 “How nice!” she said, when I told her I had to work
all weekend. (Verbal irony)
 A traffic cop gets suspended for not paying his
parking tickets. (Situational irony)
 The Titanic was said to be unsinkable but sank on its
first voyage. (Situational irony)
 Naming a Chihuahua Brutus (Verbal irony)
 The audience knows the killer is hiding in a closet in
a scary movie but the actors do not. (Dramatic irony)
Using Metaphor
Metaphor compares two unlike things or ideas. Examples
are:
 Heart of stone
 Time is money
 The world is a stage
 She is a night owl
 He is an ogre
Using Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like what it is
describing. Examples are:
 Whoosh
 Splat
 Buzz
 Click
 Oink
Using Oxymoron
Oxymoron is two contradictory terms used together.
Examples are:
 Peace force
 Kosher ham
 Jumbo shrimp
 Small crowd
 Free market
Using Personification
Personification is giving human qualities to non-living
things or ideas. Examples are:
 The flowers nodded
 Snowflakes danced
 Thunder grumbled
 Fog crept in
 The wind howled
Using Simile
Simile is a comparison between two unlike things using
the words "like" or "as." Examples are:
 As slippery as an eel
 Like peas in a pod
 As blind as a bat
 Eats like a pig
 As wise as an owl
Using Synecdoche
Synecdoche is when a part represents the whole or the
whole is represented by a part. Examples are:
 Wheels - a car
 The police - one policeman
 Plastic - credit cards
 Coke - any cola drink
 Army - a soldier
Using Understatement
Understatement is when something is said to make
something appear less important or less serious. Examples
are:
 It's just a scratch - referring to a large dent
 It's a litttle dry and sandy - referring to the driest
desert in the world
 The weather is a little cooler today - referring to sub-
zero temperatures
 It was interesting - referring to a bad or difficult
experience
 It stings a bit - referring to a serious wound or injury
These examples of figures of speech were selected to
show a variety of stylistic and rhetorical devices
that make the English language more creative, more
expressive, and more interesting.
Pun
Pun is the manipulation of words that have more than one
meanings. It brings humor in an expression.
Whoever hath her wish, thou hast thy Will,
And Will to boot, and Will in overplus;
Examples of Metonymy in Everyday Life
We use metonymy frequently in our everyday life. For a
better understanding, let us observe a few metonymy
examples:
 “England decides to keep check on immigration.”
(England refers to the government.)
 “The pen is mightier than the sword.” (Pen refers to
written words, and sword to military force.)
 “The Oval Office was busy in work.” (The Oval
Office is a metonymy, as it stands for people who
work in the office.)
 “Let me give you a hand.” (Hand means help.)
 Oxymoron - An oxymoron is a figure of speech
containing words that seem to contradict each other. It’s
often referred to as a contradiction in terms. As with
other rhetorical devices, oxymorons are used for a
variety of purposes. Sometimes they’re used to create a
little bit of drama for the reader; sometimes they’re
used to make a person stop and think, whether that's to
laugh or to wonder.
 A common oxymoron is the phrase "the same
difference." This phrase qualifies as
an oxymoron because the words "same" and
"difference" have completely opposite meanings.
Bringing them together into one phrase produces a
verbally puzzling, yet engaging, effect.

 Definitely maybe
 Farewell reception
 Growing smaller
 Jumbo shrimp
 Only choice
 Open secret
 Original copy
 Painfully beautiful
 Passive aggressive
 Random order
 Small crowd
 Sweet sorrow
 True myth
 Walking dead
 I can believe anything, provided that it is quite
incredible." - Oscar Wilde
 "And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true." - Alfred
Tennyson
 "Modern dancing is so old fashioned." - Samuel
Goldwyn
 "A business that makes nothing but money is a poor
business." - Henry Ford
 "I am a deeply superficial person." - Andy Warhol
 "We’re busy doing nothing." - Bing Crosby
 "No one goes to that restaurant anymore. It's always
too crowded." - Yogi Berra
 "A joke is actually an extremely really serious issue."
- Winston Churchill
 "I like humanity, but I loathe persons." - Edna St.
Vincent Millay
 "I generally advise persons never ever to present
assistance." - P.G. Wodehous