Figurative Language Flashcards
A description using two opposite ideas to create an effective description.
Oxymoron
Use words that have similar sounds but different meanings.
Pun
Uses an object or word to represent an idea, emotion or belief.
Symbolism
A commonly used expression that’s acquired a meaning different from its literal meaning.
Idiom
Example:
“ If you try to turn back, you’ll become a pillar of salt.”
Allusion
A direct comparison without using the comparative words “like” or “as.”
Metaphor
References to well-known people, places, things or events.
Allusion
Example:
“Break a leg.”
Idiom
Example:
“The computer argued with me and refused to cooperate.”
Personification
An author indicates a similarity between two entities without making a direct comparison.
Implied Metaphor
Example:
“ The loud silence of the night keeps him awake.”
Oxymoron
Example:
“I never had to develop my photographic memory.”
Pun
Example:
“It wasn’t the worst decision he’d ever made.”
Litotes
Example:
“They fought like cats and dogs.”
Simile
Example:
“She sells seashells by the sea shore.”
Alliteration
The repetition of consonant sounds at the start of multiple words or phrases.
Alliteration
Example:
“He gazed up at the nation’s flag with admiration.”
Symbolism
The repetition of a word or phrase through multiple clauses or sentences.
Anaphora
Example:
“In the shadows of my home, I feel alone.”
Assonance
Example:
“My heart thumped in my ears.”
Onomatopoeia
A comparison between two unlike things using the words “like,” “as” or “than.”
Simile
Example.
“ I can’t wait to get back out on the waves.”
Synecdoche
The opposite of hyperbole. This type of figurative language uses understatements to make a point.
Litotes
Example:
“I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.
Hyperbole
Example:
“ The ants soldiered forward to steal our lunch.”
Implied Metaphor
The use of descriptive words that sound or mimic the noise they’re describing.
Onomatopoeia
Example:
“Be happy, be free, and be loved.”
Anaphora
Example:
“The hero possesses a heart of gold.”
Metaphor
Attributing human characteristics to nonhuman things.
Personification
A type of figurative language where a part of something represents its entirety
Synecdoche
An over-exaggeration used to emphasize an emotion or description.
Hyperbole
Uses the repetition of vowels, such as A, E, I, O and U.
Assonance
