Simile

Explanation

A comparison between two different things using "like" or "as", for example: "He is as brave as a lion."

Usage

Example: "He swims like a fish."

Metaphor

Explanation

A direct comparison between two unlike things without using "like" or "as", e.g., "Time is a thief."

Usage

Example: "Time is a thief."

Analogy

Explanation

A comparison showing similarities between two different things or ideas to explain or clarify.

Quick example

Example for analogy.

Euphemism

Explanation

A milder or less direct word or phrase used to replace a harsh or blunt one.

Quick example

Example for euphemism.

Oxymoron

Explanation

A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms (e.g., deafening silence).

Quick example

Example for oxymoron.

Paradox

Explanation

A statement that seems self-contradictory but may reveal a truth.

Quick example

Example for paradox.

Irony

Explanation

A contrast between expectation and reality; includes verbal, situational, and dramatic irony.

Quick example

Example for irony.

Pun

Explanation

A joke exploiting different possible meanings of a word or similar-sounding words.

Quick example

Example for pun.

Personification

Explanation

Assigning human qualities to non-human things.

Quick example

Example for personification.

Hyperbole

Explanation

Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis or effect.

Quick example

Example for hyperbole.

Epithet

Explanation

An adjective or phrase expressing a quality or attribute of the person or thing mentioned.

Quick example

Example for epithet.

Transferred Epithet

Explanation

An adjective grammatically applied to one word but logically to another.

Quick example

Example for transferred epithet.

Structure & Arrangement

Explanation

How sentences and ideas are ordered for effect.

Quick example

Example for structure & arrangement.

Alliteration

Explanation

Repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words.

Quick example

Example for alliteration.

Anaphora

Explanation

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

Quick example

Example for anaphora.

Epiphora (or Epistrophe)

Explanation

Repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses.

Quick example

Example for epiphora (or epistrophe).

Symploce

Explanation

Combination of anaphora and epiphora.

Quick example

Example for symploce.

Parallelism

Explanation

Using similar grammatical structures for effect.

Quick example

Example for parallelism.

Antithesis

Explanation

Juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.

Quick example

Example for antithesis.

Chiasmus

Explanation

A reversal in the order of words in two otherwise parallel phrases (ABBA).

Quick example

Example for chiasmus.

Climax

Explanation

Arrangement of words or phrases in increasing order of importance.

Quick example

Example for climax.

Anti-climax (Bathos)

Explanation

A sudden drop from the serious to the trivial; an unexpectedly disappointing end.

Quick example

Example for anti-climax (bathos).

Ellipsis

Explanation

Omission of words that are implied by context.

Quick example

Example for ellipsis.

Rhetorical Question

Explanation

A question asked for effect, not requiring an answer.

Quick example

Example for rhetorical question.

Sound & Wordplay

Explanation

Techniques that use sound (puns, alliteration, onomatopoeia) for effect.

Quick example

Example for sound & wordplay.

Onomatopoeia

Explanation

Words that imitate natural sounds.

Quick example

Example for onomatopoeia.

Assonance

Explanation

Repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words.

Quick example

Example for assonance.

Consonance

Explanation

Repetition of consonant sounds in nearby words or stressed syllables.

Quick example

Example for consonance.

Persuasion & Emphasis

Explanation

Devices used to persuade or highlight ideas (ethos, pathos, logos, repetition).

Quick example

Example for persuasion & emphasis.

Metonymy

Explanation

Substitution of one word for another closely associated word (e.g., 'the Crown' for monarchy).

Quick example

Example for metonymy.

Synecdoche

Explanation

A figure where a part represents the whole or vice versa (e.g., 'wheels' for car).

Quick example

Example for synecdoche.

Apostrophe

Explanation

Addressing an absent person, an abstract idea, or a thing.

Quick example

Example for apostrophe.

Litotes

Explanation

Understatement by using double negatives or negating the opposite (e.g., 'not bad').

Quick example

Example for litotes.

Aphorism

Explanation

A concise, memorable expression of a general truth or principle.

Quick example

Example for aphorism.

Innuendo

Explanation

An indirect or subtle, often derogatory, suggestion.

Quick example

Example for innuendo.

Anachronism

Explanation

Something placed in the wrong historical time.

Quick example

Example for anachronism.

Understatement

Explanation

Presenting something as smaller or less important than it is.

Quick example

Example for understatement.

Figures of Speech Quiz