Figures of Speech Flashcards
A language that is used to convey something
that is different from the literal dictionary
definition of the word
Figurative Language
The comparison between two unrelated and dissimilar things,
people, beings, places, and concepts. It is marked by the use of
words ‘as’ or ‘such’ or ‘like.’
Simile
“O, speak again, bright angel, for thou art
As glorious to this night, being o’er my head,
As is winged messenger of heaven”
Simile
A comparison of two things that as basically dissimilar in which
one is described in terms of the other.
Metaphor
“Death is my son-in-law; Death is my heir”
The calm lake was a mirror
Metaphor
An exaggeration for emphasis; overstatement
Hyperbole
There is no world without Verona walls,/ but purgatory, torture,
hell itself
I have died everyday waiting for you
Hyperbole
A figure of speech in which an object, abstract ideas, or animal is
given human characteristics.
PERSONIFICATION
The wind whispered through dry grass
“To be consorted with the humorous night”
Personification
The naming of a thing or action by imitation of natural sounds.
The use or creation of a word that phonetically imitates,
resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes
Onomatopoeia
The sausages are sizzling in the pan
Suddenly, there was a loud thud at the door.
Onomatopoeia
The expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally
signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.
The use of words to express something other than and especially
the opposite of the literal meaning.
Irony
A pilot has a fear of heights.
A marriage counselor files for divorce.
Irony
What are the 3 types of Irony?
Verbal Irony
Situational Irony
Dramatic Irony
A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one
considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something
unpleasant or embarrassing.
Euphemism
I know someone who is creative with the truth.
The car isn’t used; it’s certified pre-owned.
Euphemism
Use of contradictory, contrasting concepts placed together in a
manner that actually ends up making sense in a strange and
slightly complex manner
Oxymoron
Parting is such sweet sorrow
The comedian was seriously funny
Oxymoron
Refers to a literary device in which a part of something is
substituted for the whole. Usually part of something like a body part.
Synecdoche
“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears!”
“Civil blood makes civil hands unclean”
Synecdoche
a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding
words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect.
Pun or paronomasia
“I can’t remember which state my wife wanted to visit for our
next vacation — it’s OK, Alaska.”
Why do amphibians take the bus? Because their cars are always
getting toad.
Pun
Successive words, phrases, clauses, or sentences are arranged in
ascending order of importance. It has the effect of building
excitement and anticipation
Climax
“Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman!”
I came, I saw, I conquered
Climax
a rhetorical device that functions as an abrupt let-down or tonal shift at the end of a narrative build up. An event or experience that causes disappointment because it is less exciting than was expected.
Anti-Climax
“Marie! You just won a brand new set of pencils!”
The two characters were on top of a ferris wheel gazing over their
hometown, they didn’t hug nor looked at each other but instead,
went home and never confessed their love for each other.
Anti-Climax
A figure of speech in which a concept is referred to by the name
of something closely associated with that thing or concept.
Metonymy
The president lives in the White House.
The prime minister lives at Number 10.
Metonymy
A figure of speech, in which an object or circumstance from
unrelated context is referred to covertly or indirectly. An
expression designed to call something to mind without
mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference
Allusion
Chocolate is his Achilles’s heel
She’s always tired because she carries the weight of the universe
Allusion
A seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or
proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be
well founded or true
Paradox
The child is the father of the man
The more you fail, the more likely you are to succeed.
Paradox
a figure of speech that is used to address someone
who is absent or already dead. It can also be used to address an
abstract quality or idea, and even a non-living object
Apostrophe
“O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, The ship has
weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won”
“I’m sorry, Wilson. Wilson, I’m sorry!” “Don’t worry Wilson, I’ll do
all the padding. You just hold on.”
Apostrophe
