FIGURES OF SPEECH

Ms. Phobe Jane N. Limos, Instructor I

 ALLITERATION
Examples:
▪ The pitter-patter of paws echoed down the hallway and woke
me from my slumber.
▪ The clamoring clash of dished cracking on the concrete burned
my ears.
▪ Old creaking crates carry ages of dust within them and are
about to burst open.
▪ The babble of babies brings joy to my ears.
 ONOMATOPOEIA
Examples:
▪ The water splashed all over the top of the car.
▪ Owls screech through the night and keep us awake when we
are camping.
▪ My stomach grumbled in hunger as we entered the restaurant.
▪ Thumping and booming in excitement, my heart pounded to
hear the results of the lottery.
 SIMILE
Examples:
▪ My mother is as busy as a bee.
▪ They fought like cats and dogs.
▪ My dog has a bark as loud as thunder.
▪ Her love for her children is as constant as the
passing of time.
 METAPHOR
Examples:
▪ Her smile is the sunrise.
▪ Your son was a shining star in my classroom.
▪ The tall trees were curtains that surrounded us
during our picnic.
▪ The ants soldiered on to steal our dessert.
 PERSONIFICATION
Examples:
▪ The chair squealed in pain when the hammer smashed it.
▪ The tree's limb cracked and groaned when lightning hit it.
▪ My heart jumped when my daughter entered the room in her
wedding dress.
▪ The computer argued with me and refused to work.
 HYPERBOLE
Examples:
▪ I am so hungry I would eat dirt right now.
▪ My brother is taller than a skyscraper.
▪ The concert was so loud the drums echoed in space.
▪ Racing through the day was a marathon run for me.
 LITOTES
Examples:
▪ I can't say I disagree with what you're saying.
▪ It’s not the worst steak I’ve eaten.
▪ My dog is not the friendliest.
▪ He's not even a little tired after staying up all night watching
television.
▪ She's not unkind.
 OXYMORON
Examples:
▪ Deafening silence
▪ Jumbo shrimp
▪ Bittersweet
▪ Act naturally
▪ Living dead
 SYNECDOCHE
Examples:
▪ She's got an awesome set of wheels!
▪ The company needs more hands on deck to get complete this
project in time.
▪ The city mourned the loss of a great artist.
▪ Give me a hand with this.
 ALLUSION
Examples:
▪ You stole the forbidden fruit when you took his candy.
▪ He was a real Romeo, always chasing after different Juliets.
▪ She was Helen of Troy of the class and made all the boys fight.
▪ His victory was like David defeating Goliath.
▪ She had a smile that could light up the room,
like the Mona Lisa.
 IRONY
Examples:
▪ A person walking into a messy room and saying, "Wow, this
place is so clean and organized."
▪ A student receiving a failing grade on a test and exclaiming,
"Great, just what I needed!"
▪ A fire station burning down during a fire prevention drill.
▪ A pilot afraid of flying.
 PARADOX
Examples:
▪ “Some of my biggest triumphs have also been failures,”
(According to US actress Pearl Bailey)
▪ “War is good. Slavery is freedom. “Ignorance is power,” (As
said by English author George Orwell)
▪ Save money by spending it.
▪ If I know one thing, it’s that I know nothing.
 PUN
Examples:
▪ Her cat is near the computer to keep an eye on the mouse.
▪ No matter how much you push the envelope, it
will still be stationery.
▪ I'm reading a book on anti-gravity. It's impossible to
put down!
 APOSTROPHE
Examples:
▪ Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what
you are.
▪ Welcome, O life!
▪ Alarm clock, please don’t fail me.
▪ Seven, you are my lucky number!
 METONYMY
Examples:
▪ The White House issued a statement
▪ "The pen is mightier than the sword."
▪ The crown announced new tax policies.
 EUPHEMISM
Examples:
▪ This mall has good facilities for differently-abled people.
▪ He passed away in his sleep. (Passed away” instead of “died”)
▪ “Let go” instead of “fired”
Examples:
▪ The car isn’t used; it’s “certified pre-owned.”
▪ She’s not sick; she’s “under the weather.”
▪ He’s not a liar; he’s “creative with the truth.”
▪ They’re not in a sexual relationship; they’re “friends with
benefits.”
▪ People don’t go to prison; it’s a “correctional facility.”
▪ He’s not poor; he’s “economically disadvantaged.”
▪ She didn’t break up with him; she “needed some space.”
 IDIOM
Examples:
▪ The children could not play baseball because it was raining cats
and dogs outside.
▪ Jump on the bandwagon.
▪ Spill the beans.
▪ Cost an arm and a leg.